The Tenacity of Her Heart
by cszimm
Summary: Sakura and Kakashi find themselves falling for each other, but everything changes when Sasuke confesses his love for Sakura. After giving in to her childhood dream and finding it to be not at all what she expected, Kakashi must help her salvage her heart and follow a new path.
1. Chapter 1

Notes: This is my very first piece of fan fiction, and I am excited to share it with you! Please be aware that this fic is not canon, and ignores pretty much everything having to do with the entire Fourth Shinobi War. It started out as a little plot bunny that wouldn't go away, and snowballed from there. Many thanks to PaperGangsta for being my support and encouragement! This story would not have turned out the way it did if not for her. :)

* * *

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 1

* * *

Sakura glanced at her watch for the third time as she stood at one end of the coffee shop, waiting for her drink. She really didn't want to be late to work today, but she was quickly becoming addicted to the caffeine. Briefly she wondered if that was healthy, and then she wondered if she should have ordered an _iced_ coffee considering how hot it was already getting to be.

_Who orders hot coffee on a day like today?_ She scolded herself.

Seriously, it was only _June_ and already the temperatures were getting close to 90 degrees every day. That combined with the recent academy graduates being sent out on their first Genin missions was resulting in an influx of patients at the hospital, and Sakura needed her new-found caffeine fix in order to cope.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a familiar mop of silver hair heading her way. Presumably, Kakashi had just placed his order as well.

"Kakashi-sensei!" she greeted enthusiastically. "This is the third day in a row I've seen you here so early. Since when do you drink coffee?"

At that moment the barista hurriedly set Sakura's drink on the counter, but before she could pick it up Kakashi grabbed it from her reach.

"Sakura-chan," he replied with a crinkle of his one visible eye, "I've ordered coffee here every day for the last fifteen years. So maybe I should ask you. When did you start drinking—did you call this coffee?"

Sakura could see his over-acted grimace despite the mask covering his face as he sniffed her flavored coffee. She supposed that after eight years of working together, if she couldn't read every one of Kakashi's facial expressions she wasn't fit to be a ninja.

And if he was going to be facetious she wouldn't answer his question at all.

"I like my coffee when it doesn't taste like dirt, thank you!" She admonished as she took her drink back from him. "Anyway what are you drinking that's so much better?"

"Whatever you say, Miss Double-Cafe-Mocha-Non-Fat-with-a-Shot-of-Vanilla. And I take my coffee black. The way you're _supposed_ to drink it."

Just then his coffee cup landed on the counter, and with that Kakashi breezed away from Sakura, pulling out his orange-jacketed book as he went.

"See you tomorrow!" he called with a raise of his cup over his shoulder.

And just like that, Sakura discovered that perhaps the only thing for which Kakashi was never late was his morning coffee.

She continued to run into Kakashi every morning for the next two weeks, and they struck up a familiar routine of early morning banter.

"But if all you drink is plain old black coffee, why do you buy it from the shop every day? Don't you have a coffee maker at home?"

"I did."

"You did? As in past-tense?"

"Well it broke, you see," Kakashi alleged defensively.

"Uh-huh. When did it break?"

"...twelve years ago."

Sakura just rolled her eyes in response.

* * *

Soon their daily banter evolved into more meaningful conversations, and Sakura actually looked forward to getting up a little earlier just to spend a few extra minutes with Kakashi. When Kakashi began walking with her from the coffee shop to the hospital, it dawned on her that they had actually become friends.

It made sense, really. Sakura had been promoted to Jonin a year ago, and so as far as anyone else was concerned they were peers now. Their fighting styles complimented each other and they frequently took missions together, but they had never had a friendship outside of their profession before now. But why not? Clearly they got along and they enjoyed each other's company.

It wasn't long before daily coffee sometimes turned into lunches at a noodle shop halfway between Kakashi's apartment and hers, and Sakura suspected that their relationship was still evolving. They were beginning to spend a considerable amount of time with each other, and discovering more and more things that they had in common.

She was quickly realizing that although he didn't share her need for a daily routine, he still shared some of the same compulsive personality traits that she exhibited. And outside of his public penchant for smutty romance novels, Kakashi actually possessed a diverse collection of books that rivaled her own. This had been a rich source of conversation for them, and gave Sakura quite the insight into the man's opinions on a wide variety of topics.

And then there were his jokes. God, was he _funny!_ He had a dry, sarcastic sense of humor and she seemed to be one of the few who shared it. She had never laughed so much before, even after spending much of her free time with Naruto, the insatiable prankster.

Rarely a day went by anymore that they were both in the village and didn't make plans to meet. They spoke openly and effortlessly, quickly dropping the honorifics and establishing a first-name-only familiarity.

Sakura was definitely developing a serious crush. She was surprised when the realization came to her only because of her lack of apprehension, given their recent closeness. Although her dating experience was only limited to a couple of quick but heated relationships, she was also pretty sure this crush on Kakashi wasn't one-sided.

In fact, Kakashi had _definitely_ begun flirting with her.

At first she thought it was a joke. Really, why would Kakashi, the man who'd previously been her sensei, suddenly take an interest in her? She was significantly younger and although her looks were certainly unique, she didn't think she was anything too special. Weren't there other, more classically beautiful women that caught his eye?

But his attention to Sakura persisted. Without fail, he walked her to work every day after meeting at the coffee shop and they made more regular lunch dates. Not that they were really _dates_, per say (he hadn't even ever offered to buy her coffee, let alone lunch), but they were enjoying more and more meals together as the summer wore on. They talked about everything from village gossip to missions to deep intellectual topics, and Kakashi never even took out his book when he was with Sakura. He made her blush with mildly suggestive comments whenever possible and even offered her his arm like he was escorting her through the streets.

Then suddenly one hot August day at lunch, he took her hand that rested on the table between them and _held_ _it_.

The gesture was innocent but significant. She had maybe, kind of put her hand there on purpose to see if Kakashi would take it, but never actually expected him to _do it_. It had been childish, yes, but it was clearly an effective litmus test.

She blushed as his thumb rubbed absently over her knuckles.

_That unshakeable idiot didn't even miss a beat! _

No, he just kept right on talking about jutsu theory like nothing had changed! She had been rather enjoying such an intellectually stimulating conversation and then he had to go and ruin her concentration and her train of thought.

"...And there's been a fair amount of research on the link between chakra elements and the inherent personality types of individual people."

Kakashi paused and was clearly looking for a response, but she had missed half of what he'd said and lost the thread of conversation. She blushed harder and shook her head, suddenly self-conscious.

"Sorry Kakashi...I was just thinking about something else and...missed all that," she finished lamely.

He only smiled at her under the mask and squeezed her hand knowingly.

After that Kakashi made a habit of hand-holding across the table, and Sakura couldn't help the giddiness that came over her every time she felt the rough pads of his fingers and the soft leather of his gloves on her own small hand. She supposed that she would really have to work on getting used to that so she could keep _talking_ to him, though.

* * *

It was the first week of October when Naruto had forced them all out to a popular shinobi bar for his birthday. Although Kakashi had been out for drinks with them several times in the past, Sakura was more aware than ever of their bumping knees and elbows as he perched on the stool next to her at the crowded table. After two hours of various drinking games and the general excitement and chaos of bar shenanigans, they were all reasonably tipsy.

"I'll buy the next round!" Sakura exclaimed to the general table with an enthusiastic raise of her hand. She registered orders from Naruto, Ino, Shikamaru, and Kiba, but heard nothing from the Copy Nin sitting next to her. So reasoning to herself (in a fit of alcohol-induced boldness) that it was high time to give some shtick back to Kakashi, she did something _completely_ _insane_.

With what she hoped was a cat-like grace, Sakura put her hand on Kakashi's leg to get his attention. When he didn't immediately look at her, she grazed her palm over his knee in a mildly suggestive fashion (she was going for _seductive_, not lewd, after all), and bent close to his ear to whisper so that only he could hear.

"What would you like, Kakashi?"

It was an innocent question but her tone and proximity seemed incredibly intimate to Sakura. His name felt luxurious on her loose tongue and her attitude towards Kakashi had never been so confident and so _adult_.

_Maybe I should drink with him more often, _she thought cunningly. Surely she had him on the rails this time, as he would never expect such a bold move from Sakura.

Kakashi turned to her with a raised eyebrow and what she presumed to be a smirk on his face. Sakura forced herself not to move her hand.

"Sex on the Beach."

_Or maybe not._

"Pervert!"

Her face flushed and for good measure she punctuated her accusation with a quick swat to the back of his head. Perhaps it was a _bit_ harder than she had intended, as his forehead protector was knocked further askew than normal.

"Ow! And that's a _drink!"_

"I _know_ that, but you don't actually _want_ one, you're just trying to get a rise out of me!

"Well it worked, didn't it?" He was laughing at her now, shaking ever so slightly in his seat. "Besides, you started it."

"Argh! Buy your own damn drink!"

With that she stormed off in the direction of the central bar to place the order for the table, minus one fruity cocktail, but couldn't hide the grin on her face. All right, so drinking with Kakashi now had the potential to be _infinitely_ more entertaining.

* * *

As the weather turned colder, Sakura and Kakashi found they had fewer opportunities to spend time together. They weren't any busier, and if anything they had fewer missions this time of the year. The real problem was that many food stands, including their favorite outdoor café, were now closed for the winter. While Kakashi still walked her to work (and she found a new excuse to huddle against him for warmth), it was rather difficult to hold a decent conversation when both of their faces were buried in wooly scarves.

This was simply unacceptable, and Sakura took it upon herself to remedy the situation by inviting Kakashi to dinner at her apartment.

"I didn't know you could cook," he mused. For once his tone was not mocking or sarcastic; he seemed genuinely curious at this new prospect.

"Well I'm no gourmet chef, but I can hold my own in the kitchen," she replied with confidence.

"Well then I would be honored, Sakura."

She grinned at his playful tone, and the crinkle of his eye alerted her to his own matching smile.

Admittedly, she was a little apprehensive about the idea of having Kakashi over to her home. Alone. In private. Would it be awkward? Would he finally make a move on her? Would she accept it if he did?

Well that was _one_ thing she knew at least. She was _dying_ for him to make a move and to elevate their relationship further.

It's not that Sakura was old fashioned in the sense that she believed the man always had to take the lead in a relationship. It was more like she was scared that she was completely misreading the situation. She already had one teammate with whom she had experienced unrequited love, and she didn't know if she could risk going public with her feelings for a second one without being absolutely sure he returned them. That niggling sense of doubt that Kakashi would choose her over any other woman in Konoha kept her silent, despite all of the signs he was giving her otherwise.

The aforementioned teammate, Sasuke, had returned to Konoha of his own volition a little over a year ago. It was quite the dramatic spectacle, as he had to convince first the gate guards and then the Hokage that he had returned with peaceful intentions. Tsunade and the Council held a trial in the weeks afterwards, but in the end his sentencing was lenient. Kakashi had confided in Sakura that he suspected that was mostly the Council's doing; he alleged they would do anything they could not to lose the only remaining person in Konoha that would be able to pass on the Sharingan. Tsunade was overseeing Sasuke's rehabilitation and assimilation back into the village. So far his progress was good and he had finally been granted permission to train again with his old team just two months ago, although he wouldn't be allowed to take missions for some time yet.

When Sasuke had returned, Sakura found herself anxious to speak with him again and regain what little familiarity they had before he left the village. But Sasuke was reclusive and rarely left his home; he barely even acknowledged his teammates at training. Since Sasuke seemed apathetic towards everyone (and especially Sakura), she had quickly decided it best to mirror that attitude towards him. And as of the last several months, Kakashi was taking up more and more of her private thoughts anyway.

Thankfully Sakura was pleasantly surprised (and a little relieved) that the evening Kakashi first came to her apartment for dinner was just like any other meal they shared. They made jokes and laughed together, and mused over the current affairs of their beloved village. It was so easy and natural that by the end of the evening Sakura was left feeling lighter than she had in months, despite the dismal weather.

Like drinks at the bar, and lunches at the cafe before that, and morning coffee before that, Sakura and Kakashi added evening meals to their repertoire of reasons to spend time together.

Occasionally Kakashi would feel guilty and buy the groceries, but he always helped with the dishes. And when Sakura didn't feel like cooking, they braved the cold and found a restaurant at which to eat. They always ended up holding their table longer than was usually acceptable given the line of people waiting to dine, but they selfishly struggled to give up their conversation and part ways.

Sakura loathed the days when one or both of them was out of the village, and the days when they were so busy that they could only share coffee and a brief walk to the hospital were almost as bad. The days during which they had time to have dinner together were her favorite by far. Their shared meals were always relaxed, and the pair had become so familiar with the other's habits and mannerisms that they felt like they had always shared such closeness. When they were together the hours breezed by as if they were only minutes, and the minutes ticked by as if they were mere seconds.

By the holidays, Sakura was in utterly over her head. She agonized over what to buy him for Christmas. She felt she needed to get him _something_, because their—what was the right thing to call it—relationship? Friendship? She didn't really know how to label it, but whatever they were, they were definitely close enough to exchange gifts.

In the end she opted for simple, and purchased some high-end shuriken with some of Kakashi's preferred brand of weapons polish. If nothing else he would appreciate the practicality of the gift, although Sakura regretted that it wasn't very personal.

When she opened her gift from Kakashi, she felt woefully inadequate.

He had tracked down a personal copy of an expensive medical reference book that Sakura was forever returning to and re-checking out from the library. She lugged that book _everywhere_ and although she had tried to buy her own copy, it was out of print and nowhere to be found. Leave it to Kakashi to be the one person with enough connections in the world to find something so obscure.

"Kakashi," she breathed as she leafed through the crisp pages, "This is amazing! I don't know what to say!"

"Thank you?" He chided with a grin.

"Well of course _thank you_, thank you so much! Where did you find it?"

"I made friends with an antique bookseller in Suna on a mission a few years ago. He helped me find it. And I just happened to have a mission to Suna two weeks ago so the timing was perfect to pick it up…"

Sakura thought she could see just a _tinge_ of pink on Kakashi's cheeks above his mask as he trailed off, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully.

"It's wonderful. Thank you, really!"

"If you're happy, Sakura, then I'm happy."

She couldn't help but hug him tightly after that, and relished the feel of his arms around her as he hugged her back.

* * *

Unfortunately Kakashi was sent on a string of missions soon after the holidays, and even worse was that Sakura was stuck in the village. Tsunade needed her at the hospital to help combat a particularly nasty flu outbreak. The stress and distance took their toll on Sakura greatly, as she barely saw Kakashi for six weeks or so. They did manage to spend time together on the days that he was in the village, but those days were few and far between and the frustration of being cooped up inside was getting to be unbearable. Worse still was that her frustration over the things she couldn't control, like mission schedules, was transferring over to frustration at _Kakashi_.

What the hell was going on between them? It had been a good six or seven months since they had struck up this…this…whatever it was…and although they seemed to be heading in the direction of a romantic relationship, she felt like they were in limbo.

They flirted _all the time_, and they saw each other every day. Isn't that what couples did? But never once had he offered to pay for anything when they were out together, so it didn't seem like they had really been on a date or anything. (Sakura didn't count the occasions when he bought groceries for their dinner, since her contribution was cooking the meal.) They hugged and held hands, but if Kakashi wanted to _date_ her, wouldn't he have kissed her by now?

Admittedly, she was also being stubborn and decided that she refused to be the one to bring it up. The last thing she wanted was to break the spell and mess up their carefully crafted dynamic. Whenever her thoughts turned to this subject she resigned herself to just keep going with the flow. Something would change eventually; he would make a move or he would start distancing himself. She should just enjoy the time they spent together now.

When Kakashi was finally back in the village for more than a couple of days at a time, Sakura's mood didn't improve. She did her best to be mentally and emotionally present whenever she was with Kakashi, and she still immensely enjoyed the time they spent together. But she kept hoping that he would say or do something else that would change their status again, or maybe set up some clearer boundaries. But none of those things happened, and their relationship continued to stagnate. In some ways his return from the field was _more_ exasperating simply because it was so anti climactic.

Ugh, _men_.

* * *

Upon his return to Konoha, Uchiha Sasuke had became an observer.

This was mostly out of necessity, of course. He had always been a man of action, not content to sit back and let others take the lead while he sat idly by. Unfortunately, he now had to lay in the bed that he had made when he abandoned the village to become an avenger. If he wanted to be accepted back into the ranks of Konoha shinobi, he had to lie low and be a good little lap dog.

It was not that his intentions were dishonorable. He had achieved his goal and killed Itachi, avenging the deaths of his clan. But he had barely wiped the blood from his sword when his mind had begged the question, _What now?_

After a week or so of wandering in the general direction of Konoha, he had decided to come back. He no longer had a particular direction or goal, so he figured he should try to create some semblance of a meaningful life as other people did: he would be a loyal Konoha ninja again.

He also had vague notions of wanting to restore his clan, and knew that the best way to do that would be to settle back in Konoha.

When he had first arrived, he thought that clan blood would be important in this endeavor. He had initially pegged Hyuuga Hinata as a potential candidate for a future wife. Combining the bloodlines that possessed both the Sharingan and the Byakugan was a very intriguing idea to Sasuke. But he soon gave up on that line of thought when he realized that the idiot Naruto was already courting her, and that he was unlikely to convince Hinata's father to allow her to marry a previous village traitor.

And so it was with great interest that he began observing Haruno Sakura.

The Sakura that he remembered had been weak, annoying, and utterly useless in battle. The Sakura that he saw before him now was completely the opposite of his memory.

The first time he saw her split apart the earth with her bare fist, he was so caught off guard that he almost fell victim to her attack. Almost. But he was still faster than her. And it was in that moment that he had begun to re-consider her as a possible partner in the restoration of his clan.

Sakura may not have been from one of the elite Konoha clans, but her skills as a kunoichi were not to be dismissed so easily. Such skills would be necessary for proper breeding of the future Uchiha generations.

Yes, the more he thought about it, the more Sakura seemed like the perfect person. Choosing Sakura would allow for an easier union, anyway; there would be no political agenda to contend with and he would not have to seek approval from clan elders.

There was, however, her ever-present bossiness. If he was going to take a wife, she would need to be obedient, like his mother had been towards his father. Sasuke supposed he would have to train Sakura to serve his needs. It would be possible, he knew. His mother had been a Jonin, too, but understood his father's importance within the clan and by extension, her duty as his wife to support him and defer to his will. His father had once told Sasuke that much like being a shinobi meant putting a mission above anything else, being part of a clan meant putting the clan above everything else, too. His mother understood that, he said, and someday Sasuke would need to impress upon his wife the same ideals.

It would also be important to go about things in the right order: marriage and then children. If he was going to build a proper clan, he needed legitimate heirs. Otherwise he wouldn't bother with a wife and he would just go around fucking every woman that would share his bed.

Tempting, but not the smartest course of action.

He needed a child born to a wife, not a mistress. Old Konoha clan laws dictated that wedded heirs were the only legitimate heirs. And in order for the Uchiha clan to regain its former glory, that was the path Sasuke needed to take.

He next resigned himself to a task that he despised: examining his own feelings. Towards Sakura. He fought back the initial negative feelings towards her—left over from his childhood—and thought about her on the battlefield. She was powerful, and certainly attractive. Her curves were pronounced, and he even found himself thinking for the first time that he liked that obnoxious pink hair.

Did he love her? Probably not. But he admired her strength as a kunoichi, and found her striking physical features to be desirable. So maybe he didn't truly love her now, but he would feel enough affection towards her with time. Did she still love him? He wasn't sure, but she had seemed eager to get close to him upon his return. Perhaps she would not take much convincing.

Tsunade had in fact suggested that he try to make amends with his teammates in order to foster better teamwork on missions. He decided he would start with Sakura.

* * *

The change Sakura was looking for came in early March, although it was from a completely different source than she had expected.

"S-Sasuke?" She stuttered as she opened her front door one evening.

_What was he doing here? _ She had barely spoken two words to him in months and now he was on her doorstep.

"May I come in, Sakura? I have something to talk to you about."

Oh god, that _voice_. She hated that his voice had this much power over her after all this time, especially when he said her name, but she silently nodded her consent and stepped aside to allow him over the threshold.

"Um...would you like some tea?" She asked when she remembered how to speak.

"Yes, please. Thank you."

Sasuke made his way to the living room and Sakura was thankful that she could have a few minutes to compose herself alone in the kitchen.

_This is bizarre,_ she thought. He'd never even come to her apartment all those years ago when they were Genin. What could have possibly motivated him to choose now to pay her a visit?

"So..." Sakura started as she set down the tea tray a few minutes later, "How have you been, Sasuke?"

Her shock had not worn off and she wasn't sure what else to say. Admittedly his presence intimidated her a little. She was trying to be aloof, and tucked one leg under the other as she sat down on the other end of the couch on which Sasuke was seated.

"I'm well now that I am back in the village," Sasuke replied smoothly. "Tsunade has been generous to take an interest in me. It is partially at her suggestion that I'm here."

_Oh? _

Sakura stayed quiet as she sipped her tea, and Sasuke obliged by filling the silence.

"Tsunade suggested that I begin to make amends with you, Naruto, and Kakashi. I want to apologize, Sakura."

She was sure that her jaw dropped at those words. Sasuke had committed many sins against the Leaf Village and against her personally. It was everyone's assumption that his arrogance would prevent him from ever admitting fault in his actions, and that they would continue to pretend like Sasuke had simply been gone for a long time, rather than having previously been a wanted man. Apparently their assumptions were wrong.

Sakura just stared at the teacup in her hands, not knowing how to respond. She wanted to do something—hit him, scream at him, kick him out the door—but she remained frozen in her seat. Could she forgive him for nearly killing her—more than once? She didn't know, but she wanted to. She had to hear him out. She hated to admit it but he still held some part of her heart, and she dared to hope that this could be the first step for them towards something greater.

"Look at me, Sakura."

She obeyed and her eyes shot to his. She couldn't have denied his order if she had wanted to.

"I'm sorry for hurting you, Sakura. I'm sorry for being cruel to you when I left, and I'm sorry I nearly killed you. The truth is...I don't think I would have been able to live with myself if I had killed you. Sakura, after everything we've been through...I think I love you."

It was the most he had ever said to her at one time. She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes, and her hands shook so violently that she had to set down her teacup.

Sasuke _loved_ her? Sasuke loved _her,_ Haruno Sakura? She didn't know when that happened, but she wasn't going to question it. She'd been dying to hear those words for nearly a decade.

"Really?" She whispered.

Sasuke nodded, and his face remained serious.

"Will you say it again?"

"I love you, Sakura."

The words came easily to his lips, like he said them often. The only other people that had ever said that to her were her mother and father; the words seemed strange in Sasuke's voice. But she adored those words when _he_ said them. To _her_. Finally she couldn't hold back any more and launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as she sobbed into his shoulder.

"Sasuke! Yes, I forgive you! I-I love you too!"

Her words came out in a rush and she felt his arms wrap around her, too. It was surreal. Even after all this time...it was like nothing had changed; her feelings for Sasuke were still there. _This was her dream come true._

It was at that moment that Kakashi flashed through her mind. At first his face brought uncertainty, then anger, and finally relief as it disappeared. It no longer mattered what Kakashi thought of her, or what their frustrating relationship had meant. She had Sasuke now.

"So, I'm your girlfriend now?"

His only answer was to crush his mouth to hers, and she was pushed against the back of her couch by the force with which Sasuke kissed her. Although surprised, she kissed him back eagerly and thought to herself that it was the most passionate kiss she had ever received.

"Yeah, you're mine," Sasuke said with a smirk as he pulled away.

* * *

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 2

* * *

The next day was the first warm day of spring after the long winter, and like the rest of the citizens of Konoha, the weather had put Hatake Kakashi into a pleasant mood.

Kakashi strolled leisurely through the sunny, crowded streets, enjoying the slight breeze and with an orange-jacketed book open in front of him. He was headed towards a small cafe to meet the other reason for his pleasant mood, Haruno Sakura, for lunch. Today, however, Kakashi merely held the book in front of him without registering a single word on the page, instead musing over the current state of his relationship with Sakura.

Or rather, lack of relationship.

Kakashi and Sakura had grown quite close over the last several months. Kakashi knew it had started over the summer, but couldn't pinpoint exactly when she had become the object of his affections. Sakura was now twenty years old, and had been promoted to Jonin last year. He enjoyed taking missions with her when he got the chance, as she was formidable on the battlefield and he was spoiled by having her as his own personal medic. At home it was rare that more than a day would go by without meeting her for either coffee in the morning, lunch in the afternoon, or dinner and drinks in the evening. To the casual observer, they appeared to have the kind of closeness reserved only for lovers.

They shared secret smiles when they met in the mornings for coffee, although they had come from different places. At lunch he often held her hand as it rested on the table between them. Perhaps his favorite moments were when she placed a hand on his knee at the bar, her head dropped back in a fit of laughter at whatever joke had slipped from his mouth. He thought she looked beautiful like that, with her long pink hair falling down her back and her eyes shining with mirth.

However, they had yet to cross that line fully from friendship to a true romantic relationship. They'd never kissed, only paid for their own meals, and they had never discussed their growing affection.

Kakashi knew she must share his feelings. She flirted with him as much as he flirted with her. He knew that she was not new to this kind of relationship; she had had a couple of boyfriends over the years, and he was even fairly certain that she had some sexual experience as well. She would not be oblivious to what was happening between them.

In addition to his flirting, Kakashi was becoming increasingly more obvious in his appreciation of Sakura's physical assets as well. She had filled out nicely in the last few years, and although he made sure never to be caught openly staring by Naruto or Sasuke, Sakura herself had caught him several times. He immensely enjoyed the blush that spread over her cheeks, and the shy smile she tried in vain to hide by biting her bottom lip. He always grinned at her when this happened, because he knew that she would not hesitate to loudly and publicly tell him off if she minded his looking. She never had any problems giving a thorough dressing down to Naruto or Genma or anyone else she caught staring. Her lack of protest when _Kakashi_ looked spoke volumes, in his opinion.

Once, and only once, he had even caught her checking out his own ass. She had flushed even more than usual, until the pink tinge had spread down her neck in a beautiful gradient of color before dissolving into the creamy skin of her collarbone. In response he gave her a quick once-over and a wink (an action that was only effective when his both of his eyes were uncovered, as was the case that day), accompanied by the same wide grin that he reserved just for her. He hadn't thought it was possible, but she had turned an even deeper shade of pink.

All of these things encouraged Kakashi. He was becoming restless with their game, and wanted to progress things with her before they became an awkward elephant in the room. As he neared the cafe, he thought perhaps it was time to clear the air, and ask her out to dinner. On a real date. For which he would pay, and at the end of which, if he was lucky, he would finally be able to kiss her and show her just how much he admired her beauty.

As he neared the table at which Sakura was seated, she gave him a tight smile. Her eyes were guarded. Something was making her nervous, and Kakashi frowned.

"What's wrong?" He asked as he sat down. He took her hand in what he meant to be a comforting gesture, but she pulled away. She avoided his gaze. His frown deepened, but before he could press her the waitress bustled up to their table.

"What can I get for you?" The waitress smiled and looked expectantly at Sakura.

"Jasmine tea. Thank you."

So much for lunch. His stomach dropped and his appetite disappeared as he had a feeling where this conversation was going to go. Perhaps he had been wrong after all.

"The same for me. Thanks," he spoke quickly as the waitress glanced his way. She made a note on her pad of paper and moved on to the next table.

A minute of silence passed as Kakashi waited for Sakura to speak. Finally she seemed unable to avoid his penetrating stare, and her green eyes met his one black one and she finally spoke.

"Sasuke came to see me last night."

Well _that_ wasn't what he had expected.

Sasuke's progress in rehabilitation with Tsunade did little to ease Kakashi's dislike at the thought of Sakura being alone with him. Not that she couldn't take care of herself. Kakashi just didn't quite trust Sasuke yet. There was something about Sasuke that seemed...unstable. He was still very reclusive and rarely spoke to anyone, even during training. Kakashi couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the boy made him uneasy. He frowned again.

"What did he want?" Kakashi asked warily.

"He came to apologize."

Well that was a big step for Sasuke, even Kakashi would admit to that.

"But that's not all," she continued slowly, clearly afraid of Kakashi's reaction, "He...came to tell me that he loves me."

Kakashi only sat there in stunned silence. This was _really_ not what he had expected. This was practically the _last_ thing he expected.

Faced with his silence, Sakura continued.

"I...want to give him a chance. I've wanted this since I was a girl. I never thought it would happen and I thought I had moved on...but I guess I was wrong."

Kakashi couldn't look at her anymore. Thankfully, the waitress returned then with their tea, and he had a momentary distraction in which he didn't have to respond to what she just said.

Something in his chest clenched. Why did it feel like she was breaking up with him, when they weren't even really together?

After the waitress left they both returned to silence.

"Kakashi..." she implored, "Please say something."

His eyes flashed, but his voice remained calm.

"Is this really what you want? Is he _who_ you really want?"

She looked away again, and Kakashi knew she understood his meaning. Did she really want Sasuke? Or did she want Kakashi? This was the closest they had ever come to verbally acknowledging the attraction that had grown between them, and Kakashi refused to go down so easily. Especially to _Sasuke_ of all people.

"Yes," was the simple answer to both of his questions. Apparently he was not going to get any further explanation; her walls were already up.

"He's no good for you."

This time it was her eyes that flashed, and her anxiousness melted away to a quiet anger.

"That's not for you to decide."

"Sakura. Be rational. He comes to apologize for all the shit he put you through, and profess his love in the same breath? And you just accept his words without question? I don't trust him."

"Then it's a good thing this isn't about you."

"Sakura..." His voice fell. Why was he so upset? His feelings for her were apparently even deeper than he realized himself.

Her anger was dissipating at the hurt in his voice, and he saw her face change to one of regret.

"I just thought I should tell you..."

As her sentence trailed off, Kakashi filled in the remaining half. _I thought I should tell you, because now I'm spoken for. We cannot continue this flirtation. We cannot continue to behave this way._

Kakashi nodded his understanding, but couldn't meet her eyes. With that, Sakura pulled some coins from her purse, placed them on the table, and turned to leave.

"I would be better to you than he could ever be."

His words caused her to stop, and he heard her gasp, but she did not turn around. After a moment she spoke, and her voice was heavy with emotion.

"I got tired of playing games, Kakashi. Please let me have this."

With that she walked away, and Kakashi stared at her until he could no longer see her slender form retreating down the street. How had such a promising day turned so sour so quickly?

* * *

To Sakura's credit, she tried to keep some semblance of their normal routine. She asked him to lunch or to coffee, but not as frequently, and never for dinner or drinks. In turn, he accepted her invitations when they came, but he extended none of his own.

They were awkward. They didn't know how to behave around each other anymore, and their conversations were stilted and meaningless. Over time, he was lucky if he saw her more than every couple of weeks, outside of training. They didn't take any more missions together, and Kakashi consciously refrained from admiring her figure. He wanted to keep his unspoken promise; he would step aside and allow her space. He would not interfere in her relationship with Sasuke, as much as it twisted the knife in his chest to do so.

Then one morning, about three months after their most honest conversation ever had ended whatever was budding between them, Sakura and Sasuke arrived at training together, having walked from the direction of her apartment. Sakura was practically glowing with happiness, and it was clear by the rumpled clothing and the blush on Sakura's cheeks that the couple had consummated their relationship the night before.

She was so radiantly beautiful that morning, and so blissfully happy. Kakashi could not begrudge her that happiness. He supposed he should be satisfied that she hadn't jumped into bed with Sasuke immediately, but that was little consolation. He turned down her next invitation for lunch, and she did not ask again.

For another month Kakashi watched them arrive to training together more often than not, and it was becoming too much for him to bear. How could he have not realized his feelings for Sakura had run so deep? He missed her. It had taken him weeks to identify that hole in his chest, that empty feeling whenever he thought of her.

He, the stoic Hatake Kakashi, was heartbroken.

He had to get away from Konoha for a while. Clear his head. So he took an extended mission to Water Country.

The mission was A-rank: act as the personal bodyguard to one of the Fire Country Daimyo during his travels and business dealings in a foreign land. It was simple enough in theory but ranked for the duration and the danger presented by the location. He figured he could handle this in his sleep.

But as these things tend to do, especially when being sent to Water, what was projected to be an eight-week mission had turned into twelve before he made it back to Konoha.

He was relatively unscathed, all things considered. He paused when he walked back through the gates in mid afternoon. Normally he would go straight to Sakura's and sprawl on her couch until she felt sorry enough for him to heal his minor injuries without making him go to the hospital. Once she made him beg for a full day before administering her healing touch, but only because all he had suffered was a few bruises and he was milking his "injuries" for all they were worth. On the other end of the spectrum, the time he had shown up in the dead of night with a concussion and a kunai still lodged in his thigh, she had met him in the street. She had waited up for him for hours to come home, he realized later.

But now, going to Sakura and asking her to fix his cracked ribs was out of the question. Kakashi realized with a jolt that his time away had done nothing to ease the ache in his chest, and it wasn't just his injuries. This acute and intangible pain hadn't been so apparent until he had come home and felt just as lost as he had in the jungle.

Maybe he could convince Tsunade to heal his ribs if he impressed her by reporting in right away like he was supposed to, instead of wandering around the village for a few hours first like he normally did. Yeah, that was his next best shot if he wanted to avoid the damn hospital.

Kakashi was in luck, it seemed, because when he walked into Tsunade's office and stopped in front of her desk, she appeared to be in a better mood than usual.

"Ah Kakashi, you're on time for once." She gave him a wry smile as she finished shuffling some papers.

Kakashi shrugged.

"I have no where else to be."

Tsunade looked at him again, sighed and walked around her desk to begin healing his obviously injured torso. She was clearly showing a rare moment of pity for him.

_Ah, relief at last._

"Feel better?" She asked when finished.

"Much, thank you. I quite enjoy being able to breathe without pain."

"Kakashi."

She gave him one of those all-knowing looks. Had she been wearing glasses he knew that she would be peering down at him over the rim of the frames. She wanted the answer to her real question. _Did he feel better after his attempted escape from his heartache?_

He swallowed and looked away from her.

"Not really."

"I don't like it either, you know. She was happier when she was with you."

He looked up at her suddenly. He was surprised to hear the words come from her mouth. It wasn't because he was surprised that she knew about the nature of his previous relationship with Sakura, but because they had never even voiced it to each other. It felt strange to hear it from someone else.

Tsunade was practically a second mother to Sakura, and the Hokage, too. She had eyes and ears all over this village, and it's not as if they had ever cared about how they appeared in public. Of course Tsunade knew about it. But to hear her actually condone their personal relationship was something else entirely.

"I never thought I'd hear of you actually approving of a relationship between Sakura and myself," Kakashi sullenly admitted, "Not that there was much of one."

"But there was. It was there, Kakashi. I was skeptical at first, but I saw how you acted around each other. I saw how she floated around my office and the hospital as if she had just won the lottery, every day. Trust me, if I had caught wind of you taking advantage of her, I would have had you down in an interrogation room faster than you can say 'Hokage-sama.' But from what I hear you were a perfect gentleman. What you had was good, Kakashi."

He felt like a teenager again, discussing his girlfriend with her mother, and in a sense, he supposed that's exactly what this was. Err, ex-girlfriend might be more accurate. He was surly, stuffing his hands into his pockets and looking at everything but Tsunade's face as much as possible. This wasn't why he had come here.

Kakashi rubbed his forehead tiredly and huffed a sigh before addressing Tsunade directly once more.

"I appreciate your sentiment, but it won't do me much good now. Please just let me debrief from my mission so that I can go home."

Tsunade frowned.

"One more thing first. Will you...check in on her? She hasn't seemed to be herself lately. I'm worried about her. Maybe seeing you again will bring her back a little."

Now it was Kakashi's turn to frown.

"She won't tell you what's going on?"

"No," Tsunade continued, "She won't tell me a damn thing. Her attendance at the hospital has been perfect, she's even been taking extra shifts. Her work is as exemplary as it has always been. But her eyes seem hollow. Her smile seems forced, and doesn't reach her eyes. She doesn't go out with her friends anymore. She's a different person from when you left a few months ago."

There was that painful clench in his chest again. Kakashi hadn't set eyes on Sakura in months, and yet he could picture her harboring some unknown burden. He wanted desperately to help her.

"Yes. I'll stop by her apartment tomorrow."

"Thank you. Now, tell me how the Daimyo's business trip went."

Kakashi huffed again.

"Business trip, my ass. It was more like a vacation. The man had one meeting a week lined up and spent the rest of his days lounging around or gambling. I was late getting home because he insisted on staying an extra few days at each location. There were no attempts on his life and nothing even remotely interesting happened."

"And so how do you explain the cracked ribs?"

"Small ambush on the trip home from the Daimyo's palace. Just a band of small-time thieves that got in some lucky shots, but they didn't even give me a decent workout. I blame twelve weeks standing around doing nothing all day for the reason they were able to hit me at all," Kakashi scoffed.

Tsunade seemed satisfied with this response.

"Good." She gave him a curt nod. "You can head down to payroll and collect your check whenever you feel like it, and I want your detailed mission report on my desk in two weeks. Dismissed."

* * *

Tsunade's words about Sakura troubled Kakashi. He desperately wanted to see her, to lay eyes on her and see that she was okay. But he headed home first for a much needed shower and an even greater need: a night of sleep in his own bed.

The next morning he cursed when he realized he had slept later than he had intended to. He dressed and dutifully made his way to the Cenotaph to fulfill his morning ritual, but found himself distracted. He wouldn't feel right until he had seen Sakura. Noticing that it was nearing lunchtime, he hoped Sakura was home today and not at work, so that he wouldn't have to find her at the hospital.

Lucky for Kakashi, she was home. But unluckily, so was Sasuke. He sensed both of their chakra before knocking swiftly on the door.

No one answered, so he knocked again and called out for her.

"Sakura! I know you're there..."

After some heated whispering between Sasuke and Sakura which Kakashi could hear but not quite make out, the lock turned and Sakura opened the door just enough that he could see the length of her body.

She was thin—too thin. She wore a rumpled set of standard issue Jonin pants and shirt, clearly Sasuke's, and smelled of sex and _him_. Kakashi was torn between feeling nauseous and wanting to pull her into his arms and hold her.

She looked helpless. Her hair was stringy and her eyes were just as Tsunade described them: lifeless and dull. They looked at him without any feeling behind them. Her once bright cheeks were pale and her lips were dry.

"What do you want?" She asked quietly, but not unkindly.

"Sakura," he breathed, "What happened to you?"

His heartache increased twofold. What had happened to his sweet cherry blossom, his Sakura? The girl who stood before him now was merely a shell of that person, lifeless and unfeeling.

Something faintly registered behind her eyes at his question. He thought he saw anger, and perhaps a touch of fear.

"I'm fine—" she started before she was cut off by Sasuke's growling voice from the depths of the apartment.

"Tell him to go away, Sakura."

She flinched away from the sound and looked back at Kakashi.

"I'm fine," she started again, doing her best to sound cold and unfeeling. "You should go home."

Her eyes betrayed her; he saw another small spark behind them. This time it looked like regret and pain. Her poker face had never been very good.

"Sakura, please. You don't look well. You don't look like yourself."

"I said I'm fine, now go!" she hissed.

He hesitated a moment before he agreed. It wouldn't do any good to push her in this state.

"I'll go," he nodded. "Please take care of yourself."

She nodded once, and shut the door. He heard the lock slide into place once more.

Against his better judgment he trudged away from Sakura's apartment, feeling all the more miserable. Something wasn't right with Sakura, and he had a strong feeling Sasuke was the cause. But Tsunade hadn't been very specific; surely if Sasuke was the true source of Sakura's depression Tsunade would know and take action? Maybe she didn't know for sure. Maybe it was something else entirely? What if Kakashi's anger towards Sasuke was misplaced, and the bastard was actually helping Sakura through whatever trials had befallen her?

No. Kakashi knew in his gut that wasn't the case. Sasuke was the root of Sakura's problems, not the solution. His voice had been cold and hard, and Sakura had visibly flinched away from him even from another room. She was afraid of Sasuke.

Kakashi found himself at the training grounds, and summoned his dogs. He figured that he might as well get to work on honing some of his skills that had slacked during that pointless mission doing nothing for three months. And he'd get to work out some of the frustration he felt towards a certain black haired, Sharingan-wielding bastard.

The dogs surrounded him and he fought them for close to an hour before starting to lose focus again. He had to do something. He couldn't just continue to sit by and watch Sakura self-destruct while in such a toxic relationship. He loved her too much to let that happen.

Wait, what?

_Love?_

When had _that_ happened?

Kakashi halted mid-attack and grunted as Bull tackled him to the ground, knocking the air out of his lungs. Well, that's what he got for not focusing on the task at hand.

"All right! I yield! Now get off me you big oaf..."

Bull barked loudly and deeply for good measure before getting up. Kakashi absentmindedly propped himself up on his hands and watched as the dogs ran around, their attacks turning playful as they continued to burn off their excess energy.

When had he fallen in love with Sakura? When had he ever fallen in love with _anyone_, for that matter?

Kakashi groaned and flopped back onto the ground, scrubbing his face in frustration. He had loved plenty of people in his life. His father, Obito, Rin, and Minato-sensei all came immediately to his mind. But he had never been _in_-love with anyone. This was different. This was important.

But here he was, pining for someone else's girl. He didn't even know if Sakura would want to be with him, even if she wasn't with Sasuke. He couldn't forget that she had made that choice once already.

Kakashi supposed this had been a long time coming. He might have even been in love with her before that day when she had chosen Sasuke over him; he couldn't really be sure. But all these months trying to let her have her space, trying to put his feelings behind him, they were for nothing. He still missed her. He still felt the same way, still _hurt_ the same when he thought of her with someone else. And it wasn't even worth it, because she was clearly miserable.

It was selfish, but he had to get her away from Sasuke. Even if she didn't want to be with him either, Kakashi had to get her out of the toxic relationship she was tangled up in. She needed his help, whether she recognized it or not.

Kakashi jumped to his feet and sped off towards the Hokage tower. If he was going to get Sakura out of this mess, he needed Tsunade's help.

It didn't occur to him that the Hokage might be meeting with anyone else until he burst through the door of her office, with Shizune shouting her protest behind him. Three shocked-looking Chunin that Kakashi recognized but didn't know all had their heads turned towards him in surprise.

"Hokage-sama," Kakashi rushed, before she could say anything, "I need to speak with you. It's urgent."

Tsunade glared at him but after a moment she turned her gaze to the three Chunin whose meeting had been interrupted.

"You three. Your team leader will be waiting for you at the main gates tomorrow at dawn. Dismissed."

As they filed out of the office, Kakashi ignored their questioning stares and marched right up to Tsunade's desk. The moment the door closed he was looming over the desk and glaring back at his superior.

"She needs help," He demanded impatiently, "Why haven't you done something about this sooner?"

"She's refused every offer of help that I've extended," Tsunade retorted forcefully. "That girl may be like a daughter to me, but she's a grown woman and I can't help her if she won't accept it."

"You're the goddamn Hokage! You can do anything you want! Order him not to see her, I don't know!"

Kakashi slammed his fist on the desk and spun away from it in frustration. Tsunade graciously ignored his outburst and continued on calmly but firmly.

"I don't have any proof that there's anything _wrong_ going on. If I had tangible proof of some kind of abuse or mistreatment then I could act as the Hokage to do something about it. But as it stands she just looks miserable and depressed. The Hokage can't meddle in the personal relationships of her people just because she damn well pleases, no matter who it is. I've been waiting for you to return because I think you might be the only one who can help her."

Kakashi threw himself down into a chair near the desk, his anger seething but controlled once more.

"They're holed up in her apartment. She won't speak to me honestly while he's there. I need you to send him on a mission, just for a few days, so that I can try to talk some sense into her."

Tsunade considered this. Sasuke had not yet been granted permission to take missions again, but he had been back in the leaf village for over eighteen months without incident. Aside from his apparently toxic effect on Sakura, anyway, but as an objective Hokage she had to ignore her personal feelings about the man. Would he complete a mission as a loyal ninja of Konoha? She had no reason to suspect otherwise based on his recent behavior. His rehabilitation had been going smoothly and the council had quietly promoted him to Jonin rank a month ago. She had no other reasons to object.

"Very well," she said, "I'll send him out with the team whose meeting you just interrupted. They're only delivering some documents to Suna. He can't get into too much trouble there and Gaara will let me know if he does. They should only be gone about ten days."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama," Kakashi breathed. He would get to see Sakura tomorrow. For the first time in months he would be able to speak with her candidly, and enjoy her warm smile.

* * *

The next day Kakashi watched from a secluded rooftop as the three Chunin from Tsunade's office left Konoha at dawn, led by Uchiha Sasuke. Tsunade had kept her word.

He meandered around the village for the rest of the morning, first visiting the Cenotaph and then wandering the streets pretending to be absorbed in his book. What the hell was he actually going to _say_ to Sakura? He couldn't tell her that he loved her, not yet. It was too soon and he didn't want to make this about them just yet.

He had to focus on her. It was _her_ well being that he was concerned for right now. But he also couldn't just come out and tell her that she needed to get away from Sasuke. She was so stubborn that if he took that approach she would be just as likely to stay with him out of spite, just to prove that she didn't need help.

He would have to choose his words carefully, but he had no idea what to say. He sighed and paused in front of a noodle shop they used to frequent. Ichiraku, although serving the best ramen in Konoha, was always occupied by Naruto. When they had wanted some privacy, they came here. It was nearing lunchtime now. Maybe if he brought her food that would help to break the ice. She needed to eat, anyway.

Twenty minutes later and he was standing on her doorstep, a paper bag full of their favorite take out dishes tucked under one arm. He knocked loudly on the door and didn't wait for her to answer before calling out to her.

"Sakura! It's me. I'm sorry about yesterday; I came to apologize."

He heard soft footsteps stop just on the other side of the door, but she didn't respond to him.

"I brought lunch. I thought you might be hungry?"

There were a few more moments of pause before he heard the lock turn softly, and the door opened slowly. She stood there looking at him sadly.

"Come in, Kakashi."

She turned to walk towards the kitchen and Kakashi stepped through the door, closing it behind him. He took in the sight of her apartment. It was much the same as he remembered, tidy and clean, but with touches of Sasuke everywhere. The walls were now a deep shade of blue, and his extra shoes were piled by the door. He saw weapons propped in the corner that he knew Sakura never used.

As Kakashi came into the kitchen, which was thankfully still the same pale shade of yellow he remembered, Sakura was pulling plain white dishes out of the cabinets for their meal.

He took in her appearance while her back was turned. She looked better than yesterday. Her pink hair was clean and pulled into a neat braid. She was wearing her own clothes, the red top and black leggings that she trained in most days, although even those still hung on her slender frame more loosely than they had last time Kakashi had really seen her. She turned and caught him watching her, and that same familiar blush spread across her pale skin.

He couldn't help but notice that she hadn't slapped him for it.

He liked her better this way, flushed with color, and couldn't resist flashing a grin at her. In that moment they were like they had been seven months ago, and his heart swelled.

The illusion was shattered as soon as she spoke. Her voice was timid and quiet, nothing like her usually assertive demeanor.

"Thank you for lunch. Sasuke doesn't like it when we have visitors. I hardly get to entertain anymore. I miss having people around. Now that he's going to start taking missions again I'll be even more lonely."

Kakashi found it odd that although it seemed she spent every waking minute with Sasuke (and he suspected the unwaking minutes, too), she would consider herself to be lonely.

She turned on the kettle for tea and then finished setting the table, while Kakashi watched her through new eyes. For the first time he was seeing her not as his friend that he casually flirted with, but as someone he loved and cared deeply for. He longed to bring back the vibrant woman he had known not so long ago.

"What about Naruto and Ino?"

"Naruto is too busy these days being Tsunade's shadow. He's trying to do all he can to learn how to do the job as quickly as possible. Tsunade is being tough on him, but generous with her time. And Ino...Ino doesn't get along with Sasuke. I don't see her much anymore."

Kakashi frowned at this news. No wonder Sakura was suffering if her two best friends weren't there to support her. And Kakashi himself had just up and left the country. For the first time, he felt guilty, like he had abandoned her when she needed him. But when he had left she had been happy. How could he have known that she would be anything but happy when he returned?

He met her eyes and tentatively offered the olive branch.

"I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to upset you."

"I was just...surprised to see you. You've been gone for so long and we weren't really on speaking terms when you left."

Her eyes dropped to the food in front of her as she sat down. The elephant in the room had become a big, tangible thing. Kakashi could feel it taking up all of the space between them at the table and filling in the corners of the room. He found it suffocating to try and navigate such a difficult conversation.

"It was hard to see you...with him. I...didn't realize it would be that way for me. I'm sorry for that, too. For leaving you here. I thought...you were happy."

Sakura gave him a long, sad look before she spoke again. It seemed she was having just as much trouble finding the right words as he was. This honesty was uncharted territory for them. They were both still holding back, and Kakashi couldn't risk saying too much or pushing her too far. He couldn't risk making her angry and kicking him out. Hell, he couldn't believe she hadn't slammed the door in his face when he'd showed up.

"I was happy for a while. But we haven't...we haven't been happy recently. It's been hard."

She picked at her food. Kakashi didn't know if he should press her for more details. He was torn between prying into her relationship in order to help her, and respecting her privacy because he respected her. In the end he tried to choose a neutral path.

"I'm here...if you need a friend. If you want to talk, I mean. I care about you and I...I want you to be happy."

This was so not like him, to stumble over his words and have trouble expressing himself. He prided himself on being concise in his speech and even eloquent on occasion. But Sakura didn't seem to mind. She gave him a small but genuine smile.

"Thank you, Kakashi. I've missed your company. I could use a friend right now."

She didn't elaborate, and Kakashi couldn't work up the courage to ask what was actually going on. After a few minutes while they ate in silence, he tried his hand at small talk.

"So...what have you been up to while I was gone?"

"Not a lot, truthfully. Sasuke has more or less moved in here, and I've been working a lot at the hospital. When I'm not there, I'm here. It's a pretty boring life. I get sent out on the odd mission that calls for a medic to go along, but that's about it."

Kakashi was pleased with how easily she answered, without hesitation. He felt some of the old comfort returning that their friendship had been built on. He had suspected as much about Sasuke living here, but he still had to work to keep his face passive when she confirmed it.

"Why did Sasuke move here? Wasn't his place bigger?"

Kakashi gave himself a mental pat on the back that the question came out as one of curiosity, as opposed to accusatory. She didn't seem put off by this question, which Kakashi took as another good sign. She shrugged as she began to answer.

"It just sort of happened. I've never liked being alone in that big empty compound, and I don't think he liked it either. Too many memories for him. We never really discussed it. He just spent the night here all the time and started keeping things here since he was never in his own home."

"I see he redecorated," he said nonchalantly.

"Noticed that, did you? Well he does get kinda bored here when I'm at work. It was something for him to do, and I didn't mind. I think it gave him more of a sense of home, to have something of his own choosing."

Kakashi nodded in understanding. It was so strange to hear her talk about Sasuke so normally, so mundane. To Kakashi he had become some kind of enemy, and it was easy to forget that he was after all, still human. He would crave companionship and belonging just like anyone else. But Kakashi did not lose sight of the fact that something was very wrong, and the proof was right in front of him. He didn't know what yet, but he would find out soon.

Unable to continue to talk about Sasuke so familiarly, Kakashi let that thread of conversation die. After a few more minutes of silence, Sakura returned to small talk and asked about his mission.

"It was a waste of time. The Daimyo basically just took an extended vacation and scheduled a few meetings in order to call it a business trip."

"Daimyos are usually good for that sort of thing," she deadpanned.

Kakashi broke into a wide grin at this and just looked at her.

"What?" She asked incredulously.

"Nothing," Kakashi said, shaking his head, "I just haven't heard you make a joke in a very long time. You sounded more like how I know you. More like yourself."

"Oh. I didn't realized I had changed..."

Her voice trailed off and she looked away from him, pulling her guards back up. Kakashi responded softly, gently.

"Sakura, you've changed a lot since I left for that mission."

He paused to see if she would get angry. When she didn't, he continued in the same comforting tone.

"You seem reclusive and timid. The Sakura I knew was vivacious and assertive. What happened to that girl?"

She was looking away from him but he saw her trembling. When she had composed herself to speak, her voice was quiet and she still avoided his gaze.

"I've been through some things that I don't really want to talk about. It's okay. I'm okay."

"Forgive me, but I don't really believe you're okay."

"I said I don't want to talk about it."

He sighed and put his hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"Okay," he said. "I won't ask again. Today, at least."

He stood up to leave, their bowls having been emptied some time ago. He didn't want to over-stay his welcome.

"Will you come back tomorrow?"

He couldn't help the look of surprise that crossed his face.

"Sure, if you want. I'll bring lunch again."

"I'd like that. I really have missed you, Kakashi."

With that he said goodbye and made his way back home. He felt better than he had in weeks, having finally spent some good quality time with Sakura. And the best part was that he would get to see her again tomorrow.

As it turned out, Sakura missed him enough to invite him to have lunch with her every day that week while Sasuke was away. He even met her at the hospital on the days she worked the day shift. Every day he brought take out, and every day they regained some more of their old familiarity, though it stayed strictly platonic.

On the second day, he was surprised to find out that Sasuke actually did most of the cooking.

"Oh yes, it's become a hobby of his," Sakura said. "But he's such a healthy eater, it's all chicken and plain white rice. I never get to have take out anymore!"

On the third day, they exchanged village gossip, each trying to shock the other with their news.

"Yes, well _I_ heard that Genma and Shizune were caught in one of the hospital rooms last month…" she said with a smirk and a conspiratory whisper.

On the fourth day, Kakashi told a funny story about Pakkun trying to impress one of the female Inuzuka dogs (one easily six times his size), and Sakura actually laughed. It was the same full, mirthful laughter that he had once been able to elicit from her so easily. Her hands remained on the table, but her head tilted back and her hair cascaded down her back just as Kakashi remembered. He couldn't help but stare at her. She was so beautiful, so much more the girl he knew.

"Kakashi, I haven't laughed like that in a long time," she admitted as she tried to calm herself. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. I missed hearing your laugh."

On the fifth and sixth days he met her again at her apartment, as she was working the second shift and wouldn't go to the hospital until mid afternoon. When he left each of those days she hugged him, and Kakashi couldn't wipe the grin off his face for the rest of the day.

On the seventh day, he arrived with miso soup at her request.

"I haven't been feeling well since yesterday," she explained. "I think all of the greasy take out is starting to aggravate my stomach."

"I don't mind. I like miso soup, remember?" He said with a grin.

The eighth day was much the same, but when he arrived on the ninth day he was dismayed to find her somber mood had returned.

"Sasuke comes back tomorrow," she said. The disappointment was evident in her voice. "I don't think he would be very happy if we kept having lunch dates every day."

Kakashi's heart gave a now-familiar clench. It had been a wonderful week seeing her for an hour or two each day. He didn't want it to end.

"I understand. But you're not happy to have him home?"

She hesitated and her guard was up now. She was no longer the Sakura he knew and loved.

"I told you earlier in the week. It's been hard lately."

"If he makes you unhappy then why do you stay?"

"It's complicated."

"I'm a smart man. You should try me sometime."

The words were out of his mouth before he had even thought about them. _You should try me sometime; let me prove to you I can understand your problems._ Alternatively, _You should try me sometime; let me prove to you that I will make you happier than he can._

She closed her eyes against his words. She appeared to be in pain. He didn't want that; it was the last thing he wanted.

"Kakashi...don't," she whispered.

He felt as guilty as he knew he was.

"I'm sorry. It's like I told _you_ earlier in the week. I just want you to be happy, and you don't seem happy with him."

She sighed noncommittally and chose not to acknowledge his comment.

"Let's just enjoy the rest of our lunch together, okay?" He was hoping to make peace with her, since he knew this was the last lunch he would get to enjoy with her in a while. She gave him a warm smile and agreed.

A little while later, and all too soon it was time for Kakashi to leave.

She gave him a tight hug at the door, knowing it would have to last him a long time. He smiled and embraced her back.

"You still have my phone number, right?"

She nodded against his chest.

"Just remember I'm here for you if you need a friend."

She looked up at him then.

"Thank you again, Kakashi, for everything. I didn't realize how much I missed you. I hope we can see each other again soon."

It seemed too formal and too final, but Kakashi didn't know what else to say. There was nothing else he _could_ say. He still didn't know what was causing her so much pain, but at least he had been able to unearth the old Sakura. _His_ Sakura. That girl wasn't lost forever, just hiding behind the wall she had built around herself.

* * *

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

Warning: This chapter gets heavy, and depicts domestic violence/abuse. Please bear this in mind before reading if such material is upsetting or offensive to you.

* * *

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 3

* * *

Three days after Sasuke returned from his mission, Sakura found herself pacing in the single-stall administrator's bathroom at the hospital. She was waiting the required four minutes for the little test on the counter to percolate.

She had ignored the signs and kept herself in denial for as long as possible. One missed period was unusual for her, but it had happened before when she was overly stressed and working too much. But now it had been two, and a week ago she'd started getting nauseous without having any other symptoms or reasonable causes. She had to know one way or the other.

Oh god, what would she do if it was positive?

_No_, she thought to herself for the one-hundredth time. _It's fine. I've been protected by the shot; I'm just being paranoid. Something else must be wrong with my cycle, and really my stomach was just upset from all the greasy food last week with Kakashi._

But then she remembered. At the last minute she'd had to move her last appointment to get her updated shot. A mission had come up out of the blue, and Sakura couldn't turn it down. It had been high paying, and she'd only needed to delay her appointment by a week. She couldn't turn down that kind of money. It was hard supporting two people on one income, when Sasuke hadn't been able to take missions. The doctor told her it should be okay, but to use alternate contraception for two weeks just in case. But Sasuke…well, Sasuke thought he knew what was best for both of them, and that never included wearing a condom, no matter what the doctor said.

She glanced at her watch and whimpered. _Now or never_, she thought. She closed her eyes as she approached the counter, and picked up the little stick with a shaking hand. After a deep breath, she opened her eyes, and immediately wished she hadn't.

It was positive.

She felt the blood drain from her face, and she crumpled to the floor as tears welled up in her eyes.

What was she going to do? How was she going to tell Sasuke? Did she even _want_ to tell Sasuke? What if she just took care of the problem now?

Before that thought had even fully formed in her mind, she knew she couldn't go that route. The life growing inside of her may have been made with Sasuke's DNA, but the other half was part of _her_. She couldn't kill a part of herself like that. Sasuke had already taken so much of her, as Kakashi's visits had only further proved to her. She wouldn't let him take this too.

Maybe he would be happy. He had always talked about reviving his clan, and now he had unknowingly gotten a head start.

Who was she kidding? She knew that wouldn't be the case. He wanted to revive his clan, yes, but on _his_ terms. He was so Type A; he had to have everything planned, and everything had to be _just so_. A surprise pregnancy out of wedlock was _not_ in his plans.

She took three deep, steadying breaths, and splashed cool water on her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and tried to remind herself of what Kakashi had told her last week. _The Sakura I knew was vivacious and assertive._ She could be that person again, couldn't she? She had to be. She had a child to look after now.

The rest of her workday was spent going through the motions. As brave as she tried to be, she was still terrified of telling Sasuke. She had to tell him tonight, or the anxiety would eat her alive.

She arrived home promptly at 6:15, and was at least relieved to see that Sasuke appeared to be in a pleasant mood. Finally being trusted with a mission had had that effect on him, and it was lasting. Sakura said another silent _thank you_ to Tsunade for that.

Sasuke stood at the stove, cooking rice and chicken. _Oh goody._ He said hello, but didn't ask about her day, and didn't move to embrace her or welcome her home. _Cold as ever_, she thought.

They ate in silence, as usual, but Sakura's appetite had left her.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked.

Sakura gulped, her throat going suddenly dry. She took a sip of water, and then a deep breath.

"I have some news, actually."

"Well, what is it?"

"Sasuke…I'm pregnant."

He didn't say anything. He stared at her, not a single emotion crossing his face.

"What?"

His cold black eyes narrowed. She bit her lip and looked away from him, suddenly feeling ashamed. _This is your fault_, his gaze said.

"I said I'm pregnant. We're going to have a baby."

He stood abruptly, his chair screeching across the wooden floor. She thought he was going to hit her, as he had taken to doing lately when he was angry with her. But instead he walked straight past her and out the door into the cool October evening.

_He just needs some time to digest_, she thought. _It's quite a shock. He didn't get angry the same way he usually does. He'll come back in an hour and apologize, like he always does, and everything will be fine._

But he wasn't back in an hour, or two. When ten o'clock rolled around, Sakura finally gave up and crawled into bed with a sigh. She didn't know what else to do.

Some time later she was woken up by a loud thud in the main room of her apartment. She heard Sasuke cursing the door and the chair and everything in between. He was loud and his words were slurred.

_He's drunk_, she realized with terror. Sasuke rarely drank at all, and she had never seen him intoxicated like this. He sounded angry. Before she had a chance to contemplate what to do, her bedroom door banged open.

"You!" he yelled at her. His steps were staggered, but he was propelled forward with rage. "You did this on purpose! You're going to have my _bastard_ child just so you can keep me here!"

"Sasuke, it's not like that!" She pleaded with him, "It was an accident!"

"Then you lied! You lying bitch, you said you were on the shot!"

Sakura sat up in her bed, was frozen in fear; never in her worst nightmare had she expected this.

He was beside the bed now, and before she could duck his fist darted out and connected with her temple.

"Ahh!" She cried out in pain. Her vision was blurry and she couldn't focus on Sasuke. She _had_ to focus and get away from him.

"Sasuke, stop! Please stop! Let's talk about this!"

"It's too late for that! You're already knocked up!"

Suddenly he grabbed her leg, and yanked her towards the edge of the bed. For being intoxicated, he was still remarkably fast and strong. In Sakura's dazed panic, she couldn't avoid him. His drunkenness only made his movements more unpredictable.

"Is it even mine?! I swear to god if I find out you fucked somebody else while I was gone..."

"It's yours, Sasuke! I haven't been with anyone else, I swear! I love you, remember?"

"Bullshit! You haven't loved me for years! You love Kakashi now! I heard all about your little lunch dates down at the bar tonight!"

Her face paled.

Sasuke was yanking her over the side of the bed, and she couldn't get a hold on anything but the sliding sheets to try and escape his grasp. Her panic was so blind that she couldn't even summon her chakra. Suddenly he turned her over and his hand was on the back of her neck, forcing her face into the mattress.

"I guess I have to remind you who you belong to!" He slurred as he started yanking at the shorts she'd worn to bed.

_No, not this. Not like this. Please make this stop._

Her limbs were flailing as she tried to escape, and suddenly her hand connected with the lamp on the bedside table. Relying on instinct, she swung the lamp behind her and felt it connect with his head. His hold on her went slack as he tried to recover from the hit, and it was just enough for her to run for the bedroom door.

_Kakashi! I need Kakashi!_ she thought desperately.

She summoned enough chakra to lock Sasuke in the bedroom, but she knew that would only last a minute or two before he overpowered it and came after her. She grabbed for the phone on the kitchen wall and dialed frantically with shaking fingers.

* * *

Kakashi woke with a start to a ringing noise, and it took him a few seconds to realize it was his phone. He glanced at the clock next to his bed. 2:17 am.

_Who the fuck is calling me at 2 am?_ He thought. Nevertheless, he stumbled into the living room and picked up the receiver.

"H'lo?" he answered sleepily.

"_Kakashi! Help, please!"_

Instantly he was wide awake. He would know that voice anywhere.

"Sakura, what's wrong?!"

"_Please come get me! It's Sasuke—he's going to hurt me! Please, Kakashi, hurry!"_

"I'll be there in two minutes, I'm coming!"

He'd gone to bed in a sleeveless shirt and an old pair of standard issue pants, and he was thankful that all he needed to do was shove on a pair of shoes. He grabbed two kunai from the kitchen counter before darting out the door and into the night.

He flew over the rooftops, not caring how loudly he landed. His only goal was to get to Sakura as soon as possible.

_That rat bastard!_ He seethed. He _knew_ there was more to this story. When Kakashi found out how long this had been going on, no one would stop him from exacting his revenge on Sakura's behalf.

His stomach dropped when Sakura's apartment came into view, and he saw that her front door had been left wide open. A second later he heard her scream, and in an instant he was there on the threshold.

On the wall to his right, Sasuke had one hand on Sakura's throat, pinning her against the wall, and his other arm disappeared into the waistband of her shorts. Blood dripped from her left temple, and he could see bruises blooming on her legs.

"Sasuke, please stop!" She sobbed.

Kakashi growled and launched himself at Sasuke, knocking him sideways and away from Sakura. He glanced back at her and saw her crumple to the floor.

"Sakura!"

She scrambled to her feet, but she was frozen to the spot in terror.

He turned back to Sasuke just in time to block the strike of Sasuke's own kunai. They traded blows and the kunai clanged, but Kakashi was quickly gaining the upper hand over the intoxicated man.

"Sasuke, it's over. You've gone too far this time! You're not going to get off easy this time!"

Apparently Sasuke agreed. Before Kakashi could stop him, Sasuke gave up the fight and fled for the wide open door. Sakura screamed again as he darted past her, clinging to the wall.

As soon as Sasuke had fled, Kakashi ran to Sakura and caught her as she collapsed again against his chest. She was crying hysterically and Kakashi did his best to calm her, easing them both to the floor.

"Shh, it's okay! He's gone! You're safe, I've got you now. He won't hurt you anymore."

He maneuvered her onto his lap so that he could hold her, her legs stretched out to his right side. She clung to his chest and he stroked her hair, whispering soothing words into her ear.

When her sobs died down, he bit his left thumb and pressed his bloody hand to the floor, summoning his pack.

Before the dogs could even ask for orders, Kakashi was commanding them.

"Pakkun, go wake Tsunade. Tell her that Uchiha Sasuke has abandoned Konoha again, and that he severely wounded Sakura. Have her meet us at my apartment. The rest of you, follow Sasuke's trail."

Kakashi turned back to Sakura. Her sobs had subsided but she was still crying, the tear tracks marring her pretty face.

"I'm going to take you back to my place now, okay? You'll be safe there."

She nodded against his chest and he lifted her with him as he stood up. Cradling her securely against his body, he set off into the night once more, but took extra care with his precious cargo.

* * *

Kakashi brought Sakura straight back to his bedroom and laid her down to rest while they waited for Tsunade to arrive. As the weight of the last half hour came down on her, her tears began anew.

"I'm so sorry, Kakashi...so, _so_ sorry..."

He kneeled next to the bed and tucked her hair behind her ear in a comforting gesture.

"Shh, you have nothing to apologize for. I told you I would be here for you. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now."

Sakura's face twisted again.

"You don't understand," she whispered, "I messed up...I messed up really, really bad..."

Kakashi frowned and his heart gave a lurch at her pain. How could she blame herself for this? He had never seen her like this before. What had transpired between their last lunch a few days ago and tonight? What had happened while he was away on that mission?

"No, Sakura. No...you haven't done anything wrong. There's no one to blame but him."

He continued to stroke her hair and her eyes welled with fresh tears, but before either of them could say anything else they heard the front door slam open with a _BANG_.

"Hatake! Where is she?"

"In here," Kakashi called in the direction of the bedroom door.

Tsunade rushed into the room with heavy footsteps; her rage was palpable. She flew to the bedside.

"Out, Hatake!"

He rose to his feet but didn't leave the room. He didn't want Sakura out of his sight, though he knew she was safe here.

"Shishou, it's not as bad as it looks..." Sakura tried to protest.

"I said out," Tsunade reiterated, but softer this time. "I need to remove your clothes and examine you, Sakura."

Sakura's face turned red. It was not the pretty blush he was used to, but rather a consuming embarrassment at the thought of being naked and helpless, and in another man's bed.

"I'll just be on the other side of the door, Sakura. I'm not going anywhere."

He left the room and closed the door behind him.

_Tea_, he thought. _Tea would be good right now_. He moved to the kitchen to keep himself busy. He didn't really want to overhear anything anyway. He would hear it all from Tsunade later, and right now he wanted to keep a lid on his rage, for Sakura's sake. She had seen enough anger and violence tonight. She needed him to comfort her and make her feel safe.

* * *

Tsunade leaned over Sakura as she lay on Kakashi's bed, taking a visual inventory of her injuries. A laceration on her left temple, which appeared to still be bleeding. Bruising on her right cheek and throat, and various spots were blooming on her arms and legs, which were clearly defensive wounds.

"Can you breathe alright?" Her approach was clinical as she assessed Sakura, deciding what needed to be dealt with first.

"Yes."

"Did he use any weapons? Do you think you have any other serious injuries?"

"No to both."

_Head wound first, then. _ Tsunade reached into her med pouch for some clean squares of gauze. She cleaned the blood away from Sakura's skin and hair before pressing her other hand to the wound and stitching it closed with chakra.

She moved next to Sakura's throat, where the clear outline of a single hand was visible. She felt for internal swelling around the area and finding none, pushed small amounts of chakra into the surface of Sakura's skin, healing the burst capillaries and erasing the blotched color.

_He only had one hand on her throat,_ Tsunade observed. _Where was the other?_

"Sakura." She started, to get the girl's attention. "Did he touch you?"

Sakura's face burned again. She bit her lip and looked away from Tsunade, but nodded. Her eyes were glistening again.

"He didn't get very far. Kakashi got there in time."

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Sakura. This isn't your fault. But I do need to look at you and make sure he didn't hurt you."

Sakura nodded again, but stayed silent. With Tsunade's help, Sakura removed her shorts so that she could be examined.

"Aside from some bruising on your thigh, you seem to be okay. Are you sore?"

"A little."

"Take some painkillers, and the ache will be gone soon. I'm sorry this happened to you. Let's pull your shirt up so I can check your abdomen."

Sakura stiffened, but complied. Tsunade noticed the increase in her heart rate, but assumed it was because she was so exposed. She began to press chakra into the girl's stomach, checking for internal injuries.

"It's alright, Sakura. This is just an exam. I'm not going to—"

She stopped short as her hand passed over Sakura's lower abdomen. She focused her chakra there, and gasped. Before she could say anything, Sakura started to explain.

"I know already," she admitted with a shaky voice, "I just found out today. That's why...Sasuke...he was so angry with me..."

Sakura's voice broke off. Tsunade's voice was calm and tentative, but she had to ask the question.

"Do you want to keep it? I'll understand if not. I can make an appointment for you at the clinic; no one will know."

Sakura shook her head against the pillow and stared at the ceiling as she spoke softly.

"I already considered it. I can't do that, I don't have it in me to kill another part of myself because of Sasuke."

"Very well. I understand that, too, Sakura. I'll take you off the active mission roster and schedule an appointment this week with an OB/GYN. By my estimation you seem to be about eight weeks along." she paused before continuing. "It will be alright. You have good friends who will help you through this, and I'll be here, too."

Sakura nodded and continued to stare at the ceiling. With more of Tsunade's help, she dressed again. Sakura was clearly struggling to keep it together as Tsunade finished healing the last of Sakura's bruises.

"Do you want me to tell Kakashi for you?"

Sakura shook her head again.

"No, I need to be the one to tell him. He deserves to hear it from me."

"Okay. I'm going to bring him back in. I know it's late but we need you to tell us what happened tonight, and what's been going on with you."

Tsunade studied Sakura closely. The girl looked defeated and exhausted. She would have a hard road ahead of her, but they needed to get this unpleasantness out of the way first.

* * *

At Tsunade's behest, Kakashi re-entered the room and assessed the mood of the two women. The hair on his neck stood up. There was something they knew that he didn't.

Sakura was now sitting on the edge of the bed, and she looked better now that she had been cleaned up. Kakashi sat next to her and pretended not to notice Tsunade's raised eyebrow.

"Sakura has agreed to open up and tell us what's happened to her," Tsunade began. "Sakura, take your time. We know this won't be easy for you."

"I don't know where to start..."

"Last week you said you hadn't been happy for a while. Why don't you start with that?" Kakashi prompted gently.

She nodded and took a few minutes to collect her thoughts.

"It started to go sour not long after Kakashi left on his mission. We were spending so much time together, and we fought a lot. The fights got worse. He started cutting me down with words every chance he got, and one night...he slapped me."

Kakashi tensed in anger. _Keep it together_, he reminded himself. Based on what he knew happened tonight, Kakashi had suspected something along these lines and he also suspected it got worse, but he had to stay calm right now. Sakura glanced at him before looking down at her feet.

"He apologized immediately. He said he didn't know what came over him and promised never to do it again. I forgave him easily. But a week later, he did it again. Again he apologized and again I forgave him."

Her words were coming easily now that she had opened the floodgates, but not without taking their toll on Sakura. She was crying freely now. Tentatively, Kakashi rested a hand on her knee. She covered it with her own, squeezing his fingers gently to let him know she appreciated the gesture.

"It got worse. The slaps became more frequent, and then they turned into punches. It was always just one hit, nothing like tonight. I dodged when I could but he's always been faster than me. His apologies came slower. Usually he would hit me and then storm out of the house. He would come back later with flowers or some other trinket to buy my forgiveness."

"Why did you stay, Sakura? Why not get out?" Kakashi implored.

"I wanted so badly to love him. I felt like we were supposed to be together, you know? I could heal my injuries easily in order to hide them, and I thought that if we could just get through this...rough patch or whatever...that things would be like they were in the beginning, and we would be happy. But it just kept going, and by the time I started to realize it wouldn't get better, he had moved in. I couldn't abandon my own apartment and I couldn't very well kick him out. I was in over my head."

She paused to catch her breath and compose herself again.

"That's why you were taking so many extra shifts at the hospital," Tsunade mused as she put the pieces together. "You were avoiding your own home."

"Yes."

Kakashi could see Tsunade's face fall.

"I should have seen the signs. I'm sorry Sakura. I owe you an apology for not thinking anything of it at the time."

"It's okay—" Sakura started before Tsunade cut her off.

"No, it's really not. If I had paid more attention you might not be sitting here in such a state. I'm sorry for my oversight, Sakura."

Sakura only nodded, apparently at a loss for words in response to such an admission from the Hokage. After a moment Kakashi pulled them back to the task at hand, wanting this conversation to be over as soon as possible.

"Sakura, what happened in the last few days? Last time I saw you, you seemed to be a little better."

At his prompting, Sakura seemed to curl into herself. One hand clenched into a fist and rested against her chest, while the other arm wrapped around her stomach as if she was trying to hold herself together. She lurched forward and a sudden sob escaped her lips.

Reacting to her distress, Kakashi laid a warm hand on her back.

"Sakura...?"

He didn't want to hurt her any more. He wanted to share whatever burden she was carrying that was causing her so much pain, but she had to tell him about it before he could take some of the pain away.

She turned her whole torso towards Kakashi. Tsunade may as well not have even been in the room anymore. Kakashi's focus narrowed to the girl next to him, as she appeared to want to address him directly.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered again while fresh, hot tears rolled down her cheeks. He took the hand still wrapped around her middle and held it in his own, while his other hand remained on her back.

"Sakura, you have nothing to be sorry about. Whatever happened, I'll help you. Let me help you."

"I don't know if you can help me with this." She finally looked into his eyes and his heart broke for her. It seemed that she wanted to continue, so he stayed silent. After a deep breath, she finally gave away her secret.

"Kakashi, I'm pregnant. With Sasuke's child."

Kakashi's mind went blank, and regretfully he couldn't help the look of shock on his face. He tore his gaze away from Sakura and looked to Tsunade for confirmation. Tsunade nodded.

"About eight weeks, I think. They'll do an ultrasound to know for sure."

"Oh, _Sakura_," he sighed. He did the only thing he could think of, and wrapped his arms around her tightly.

She buried her face in his chest and fisted his shirt in her hands, and Tsunade spoke again, filling Kakashi in on what Sakura had already told her.

"Sasuke apparently wasn't receptive to the news. That's what sparked his outburst tonight."

"Kakashi, what am I going to do?" Sakura cried.

"It's okay. Let's just take it one day at a time. We'll figure this out. It'll be okay."

In truth he didn't know what else to say. He _didn't_ know if it would be okay. He didn't know what this meant for her. For all of his skills and his one thousand jutsu, in that moment Kakashi felt he was the most ignorant person in the world. He knew nothing.

Without any other comforting words to say, he held Sakura close to his chest. He stroked her hair and let her cry, hard, into his shirt. They were both lost, but she needed him to guide her through the dark.

When Tsunade made a small cough in the back of her throat, Kakashi turned his head towards her without letting go of Sakura.

"I'll leave her with you. We can talk more tomorrow," she said softly as she made her way to the door.

Kakashi nodded. When Tsunade was gone, he spoke to Sakura again.

"Let's get you to sleep, hm? It's late and you've been through the wringer."

She sniffled and slowly pulled away from him. Kakashi rose from the bed and went to his dresser, pulling out a pair of sweatpants and t-shirt.

"You can wear these if you want. I'll run over to your apartment in the morning and bring some of your things."

Sakura took the clothes graciously and made her way to the bathroom to change. Kakashi heard the sink running, and a few minutes later she emerged with a clean face and wearing fresh clothes. He helped her into bed again, pulling the covers over her.

When he turned to leave, intent on taking the couch, she caught his arm.

"Stay. Please. I don't want to be alone."

Kakashi hesitated a moment, not sure if he should be sharing a bed with her after everything she had been through tonight and considering their charged history. But she had specifically asked him to stay and if he was honest, he really didn't want to spend the rest of the night crowded on his ancient sofa. So in the end, he walked around to the other side of the bed and slipped in beside her.

He listened to her breathing slow after a few minutes, and he was thankful that she had fallen asleep so quickly. She must have been exhausted.

Unfortunately for Kakashi, he couldn't seem to make his mind slow down, despite how much he wanted to sleep. He lay on his back, his hands resting behind his head as he stared at the ceiling and thought about the sleeping girl beside him.

He couldn't believe that Sakura was pregnant. His heart went out to her and her plight. It was clear she was facing single-motherhood, a situation difficult for civilians, and virtually the end of a career for a kunoichi. Kurenai had been perfectly content to give up her career for her sweet and outgoing little girl, but Kakashi knew that she was also receiving financial assistance from the Sarutobi estate. Even without knowing his fate, Asuma had made sure his family would be well cared for in the event of his death.

The value of the entire Uchiha estate had passed to Sasuke upon the death of his clan. He was the wealthiest person in Konoha before the age of ten. But Kakashi doubted that there was much money left in the estate now, if any at all.

Sasuke had always been an excellent maker of short-term plans, but he often lacked the foresight to consider his decisions long term. Before leaving Konoha as a thirteen-year-old boy, Sasuke had liberated whatever he could carry from the clan vaults. Since the only two remaining Uchiha had abandoned the village, after six months the government had seized what Sasuke left behind.

When he returned, the money he'd taken was spent. He had to fight through a lot of government red tape in order to procure a pithy monthly stipend from the government to live off of until he was permitted to take missions again. Sasuke argued the money still belonged to him and the government argued he had forfeited the money when he left. In the end they had settled on a meager monthly sum that would never accumulate to much wealth. It was certainly not enough for childcare.

Even so, Sakura had a lot of friends. Even if they had kept their distance recently, they would help support her. Ino loved babies, and Naruto had both a lot of wealth and a generous heart. But what about himself?

Kakashi had told Sakura over and over again that he was her friend, and he would help her through her troubles. He had meant every word. But he had not told her that he loved her. Had that changed since her revelation?

Although he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that a tiny human was now growing in Sakura's belly, it was also a fact that she was still Sakura. And he had proven last week that without Sasuke's dark influence, she was still _his_ Sakura. Nothing could change that. Sasuke didn't, and a baby wouldn't change that either. Sakura's responsibilities were changing, but she was not. He would still love her. The thought was comforting to Kakashi.

Next he thought about his intentions for his relationship with Sakura. Before, he had fully intended to rekindle their flirtatious friendship and try to forge a romance with her. Had that changed now that she was pregnant with another man's child? Kakashi's plans had never gone beyond the "serious dating relationship" phase. It was not necessarily because he didn't want marriage and children and a white picket fence, but simply that he had never been with a woman long enough to consider it.

Kakashi scoffed to himself. He wasn't _with_ Sakura, and now he found himself considering the possibility of assuming the role of surrogate father to her child. Could he care for her child as if it was his own? Feed him, teach him, and keep him safe?

The kid would probably possess the Sharingan, too. Kakashi was the only remaining person in Konoha that would be able to teach him to wield it, surrogate father or not.

As Kakashi sifted through his jumbled thoughts, the answer revealed itself like a gemstone in a panner's sieve, slowly emerging from the sand and grit until it was free and shining.

_Yes_.

Yes, he could do those things. He could do those things and more for Sakura's child because he loved Sakura. This child would be Sakura's, not Sasuke's, and she would love it as if the father's DNA did not run through its blood. Such was the ferocity of Sakura's resolve and the tenacity of her heart. She loved completely or not at all, and Kakashi loved _her_.

All of this depended on Sakura, too, of course. Maybe she wouldn't even want his involvement; maybe he was getting ahead of himself. He would have to approach this delicately and see how the coming weeks played out. But he knew that whatever Sakura was willing to accept from him, Kakashi was willing to give.

His thoughts in order and his mind made up, Kakashi finally felt that he could succumb to sleep. He drifted off indulging in a dream about a house on the edge of the woods and more pairs of little feet running across the floors.


	4. Chapter 4

.

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 4

* * *

The next morning Kakashi was treated to an unpleasant wake up call in the form of a wet dog tongue slobbering all over his hand.

"Ugh, Pakkun, give it a rest." He wiped his hand absently on the sheets.

"Sorry, boss. Reporting in on Sasuke."

Well that certainly got his attention. He sat up and ruffled his hair before scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. Nervously, he glanced to the other side of the bed. He was relieved to see that Sakura wasn't there to hear Pakkun. He heard the shower running and was pleased that she had felt comfortable enough to help herself to what she needed.

"Well?"

"The boys are still tracking him. He's halfway to the northern Fire Country border. He's moving fast, not bothering to cover his tracks. He's fleeing without a plan. He's scared."

Kakashi nodded.

"Thanks, Pak. Track him to the border but don't engage unless he attacks you. I just want to know where he crosses."

"You got it, boss."

The pug disappeared with a poof and a few seconds later Kakashi heard the shower shut off. He glanced at the clock. 10:35. Good, he had gotten a solid five hours of sleep since all the commotion in he middle of the night. He hoped Sakura had slept well, too.

Wanting to see her when she emerged from the bathroom, Kakashi opted to stay in bed a few minutes more. He swiped his copy of _Icha_ _Icha_ from the nightstand and turned to the page he'd last left off on.

Six pages later and he looked up at the sound of the latch turning. Sakura had apparently helped herself to another of his t-shirts and pants.

"I hope you don't mind," she said, gesturing to her outfit. "I just needed to feel clean again.

"Of course I don't mind, Sakura." He offered her a small, warm smile. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura sighed heavily and sat down on the bed again.

"I feel like I'm in a nightmare and can't wake up."

"That's understandable. A lot changed for you in a short time."

She looked up at him with a lost and resigned expression. Kakashi decided this was a definite improvement from her tears and gut wrenching sobs, but his heart still ached for her.

"You mentioned that you were going to my place today to get some of my things. Are you sure it's okay if I stay here for a few days? I don't think I want to go back there yet..." She bristled uncomfortably at her memories of the night before.

"Yes, Sakura. I want you to stay here as long as you want to be here." He paused a moment before redirecting the conversation. "I'm going to put on some tea. Would you like some?"

"That sounds wonderful, thank you." She gave him a tight smile and sighed again.

Ten minutes later and they were sitting at the kitchen table drinking tea in a comfortable silence. Sakura closed her eyes and leaned her head against the back of the chair.

"This feels good. This feels normal. I need as much of that as I can get right now."

"You'll have a new normal now. You'll adjust. The father of your child may not be here, but you're not alone in this, Sakura."

"You keep saying that. But I don't even know what I'm doing. I don't even know how anyone can help me."

"Well for starters, I'm going to help you feel like you have a home again, whether that's here or your apartment. I want you to feel safe and relaxed. You have a right to want to spend time in your own home."

She took his hand and her eyes warmed.

"Thank you, Kakashi. That's very sweet of you. I'd like to feel that way again."

They finished their tea and Kakashi cleared the cups away from the table.

"I'm going to stop by the Cenotaph and then go get your things. I'll pick up your clothes and toiletries. Is there anything else you want me to get right now?"

She thought for a minute before answering.

"My purse is on the table by the door. There are some medical texts on the living room table that I'm studying. And if it's not too much trouble I wouldn't mind having a few of my novels."

"Sure. I'll bring you whatever you want." After a thoughtful pause he asked, "Will you be okay here on your own for a couple of hours?"

"Yes, I'll be fine. I'm probably going to go back to sleep, actually. I'm exhausted."

"Alright. Help yourself to anything in the fridge, too, although it may not be much. I guess I should get to the market soon."

"I can give you some money later. It's the least I can do to chip in..."

"No, Sakura." He shook his head with a slight smile. Even in all of this mess she still wanted to chip in on the bill. In a moment of boldness he strode up to her and ran a hand through her damp hair. "I want to take care of you. Just let me do that, okay?"

Sakura accepted this request with a shy nod, and Kakashi moved before he did something stupid, like confess his undying love. _Careful_, he thought.

"I'm going to take a quick shower and then I'll be out. Make yourself at home."

Half an hour later Kakashi found himself at the Cenotaph with a cup of black coffee in hand, mulling over his and Sakura's new circumstances again. His thoughts traveled the same path as they had done in the middle of the night, and came to the same conclusions. It was always reassuring to think things through in the sobering light of day.

Anxious to get back to Sakura sooner as opposed to later, Kakashi left the Cenotaph shortly after and headed to Sakura's apartment, lugging a large storage scroll with him.

As he walked through the door, he took in the remnants of the incident the night before. A kitchen chair had been dragged halfway into the living room and lay on its side, and the cordless phone from which Sakura had made her distress call was on the floor nearby. Kakashi made his way into the bedroom and wished he hadn't. The lock on the door was in pieces, and a lamp was smashed on the floor in the middle of the room. The sheets and blankets had been torn from the bed and were strewn in a tangled mess all over the floor. Worst of all was the bloodstain on the middle of the mattress; he assumed that was from the head wound Sakura had received in the struggle.

With a heavy sigh, Kakashi piled the sheets and blankets back on the bed, and found a broom with which to sweep up the shattered lamp. At least that helped a little. With the bedroom floor cleared, he laid down the scroll and unrolled it.

It felt wrong to be rifling through Sakura's belongings, but she didn't want to come back here, and Kakashi didn't think that would be a good idea even if she had wanted to come. First he went to her dresser and pulled out the clothes he thought she would need or want most, including her comfortable leggings and red shirts in which she usually trained, and a pair of blue jeans. For good measure (and because he felt weird looking too closely), he took the entire contents of her underwear drawer and dumped it onto the pile. In the closet he found her white medical coats that she wore at the hospital, and tossed those on top.

Next Kakashi stepped into the bathroom to gather her toiletries. What exactly did she need? There were so many little bottles that he didn't know if he should bring all of them or try and figure out which ones she used most. After a moment of contemplation, he opted for just the basics. Shampoo, body wash, shaving cream and razor, toothbrush, hairbrush, deodorant. If she needed anything else he would come back and get it later.

The bathroom essentials taken care of, Kakashi circled through the rest of the apartment, picking up additional items Sakura might need or want. He picked up a few pairs of shoes and her purse from the table next to the front door, and found the medical texts she had requested. He perused her bookshelf for a moment and picked out a few novels, thinking he might like to read them as well.

Lastly he stopped in the kitchen. He barely had any food at his place, and after all anything here was likely to go bad. Kakashi pulled a few things from the refrigerator and cabinets that would hopefully tide Sakura over until he made it to the market.

With a final glance around, Kakashi gave a satisfied nod of his head and sealed the storage scroll. Time to go home.

A few minutes later Kakashi strolled back through the door of his own apartment.

"Sakura?" He called.

"In here," came the muffled reply from the direction of the bedroom.

Pausing at the door, it appeared Sakura was in the bathroom, and the retching noise that followed alarmed him.

"Sakura, are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "Damn morning sickness..."

Oh. Pregnancy. Right.

Kakashi sighed at his own ignorance and went to the kitchen to fill a glass with water. He brought it back to the bedroom and knocked on the bathroom door softly.

"I brought you some water if you want it, and I have your toothbrush here somewhere."

"Just leave it there. I'll be out in a few minutes."

Kakashi unsealed the scroll on the floor and rummaged around until he found Sakura's toothbrush. Just as he let out a triumphant "Ah ha!" to himself, Sakura stepped out of the bathroom. Again, the same lost and resigned expression adorned her face.

"I thought you were just getting a few things; this looks like I'm moving in," she mused with a slight frown.

Kakashi shrugged.

"I figured it was better to bring more than you might need. I don't know how long you'll be here."

She considered those words and her frown deepened.

"You're right. I don't want to go home any time soon. I feel...safe here. I'd like to stay for as long as you'll allow me to."

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"I guess you're moving in then, at least for a little while. I'll clear out some space for your things."

"I really appreciate that, Kakashi. But can I have my toothbrush now?"

His heart swelled at the smile on her face. It didn't reach her eyes, but just the fact that she was smiling at all was a miracle to him. After last night he didn't know when he would see that again.

For the rest of the afternoon they worked together to merge their belongings. It was another strange event for Kakashi. This felt permanent, and in the secret part of him where he kept his most private thoughts, he found himself hoping it would be.

He knew he was crazy. He'd never even kissed the girl whose clothes he was now making room for in his closet. For the last seven months or so they had been so distant, but he had never really considered their time before that to have been a relationship.

But that didn't really matter now. Theirs was clearly not a normal relationship, and if Sakura was happy moving her things into his place, then he was happy with the situation, too.

By the time they finished, it was getting dark outside and Sakura's stomach growled. She blushed.

"Sorry. I guess I'm going to have to get used to being hungry all the time."

"What would you like for dinner?"

She thought for a moment, and seemed to gain a little more energy behind her voice.

"I'd like to go out. I don't want to feel trapped inside of here. I'm craving noodles..."

Kakashi grinned, happier than he'd been in days. They changed their clothes for dinner with only a little awkwardness. They weren't close enough to undress in front of the other, and had obviously not worked out a routine for sharing their space for things like that. Nonetheless, fifteen minutes later and they were being led to a table by the restaurant's hostess.

Their meal was wonderfully healing for both of them. The food was delicious and they returned to some semblance of normalcy. It dawned on Kakashi that this was the "new normal" that he had been encouraging Sakura to adjust to. Although he hated the way it had come about, Kakashi decided he liked "new normal."

"What's that look for?" Sakura inquired. She eyed him suspiciously across the table.

"Nothing. Just thinking about how I missed this with you. Good food and good company."

"That certainly sounds like more than 'nothing,'" she chided.

"I guess so." He scratched the back if his neck bashfully, but didn't elaborate any further.

They kept the conversation light for the rest of the meal, but Kakashi couldn't help but notice that sometimes Sakura was somewhere else, absorbed in her nightmarish memories. Each time he gently brought her back to the present, but it made his heart ache for her. There were always going to be things that he couldn't fix for her. He couldn't change what had happened and he had no jutsu that could make her forget.

After dinner they ambled back to Kakashi's apartment and stayed up late talking. It was the most quality time they had spent together in a very long time, and neither seemed to want to end the conversation. It was much like old times, Kakashi thought, but instead of sake in a bar they drank jasmine tea on the couch. There also wasn't as much laughter, the situation being what it was, but Kakashi didn't mind.

It was a few minutes after midnight when Sakura couldn't even finish a sentence without yawning.

"Sakura, why don't you go to bed. I'll be okay out here on the couch."

She have him an exasperated look. _Ah, more of her old self returning_, he thought.

"Kakashi. No offense but your couch sucks. You can't sleep out here indefinitely."

He was happy to hear her speaking like _his_ Sakura, bossy and demanding. His eyes were warm and he played along with her game.

"Ah, but you're my houseguest, Sakura, and pregnant, too. What kind of gentleman would I be if I made you take the couch?"

She huffed in annoyance.

"That's not what I meant and you know it."

Kakashi's facade dropped and he rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

"I don't know, Sakura, doesn't it seem...awkward or something?"

"No less awkward than anything else that's happened in the last twenty four hours," she retorted darkly.

"I just don't want you to feel uncomfortable. You know, considering everything..." He trailed off, and Sakura looked directly into his eyes.

"It's because of everything that happened that I want you there. I don't want to be alone. And maybe...maybe because I just feel better when I'm with you."

With an admission like that coming from Sakura, he couldn't resist giving her a one-armed hug around her shoulders.

"Alright then," he sighed contentedly, "let's go to sleep. I'm dead on my feet."

* * *

For the next few days they began to fall into a routine. They spent their days together, as Kakashi was still on leave after his extended mission, and Sakura had been placed on temporary personal leave from the hospital at Tsunade's order. But they enjoyed each other's company, and even the silences were companionable. They talked some more about Sakura's ordeal, when she was up to it, and Kakashi was relieved that she was able to talk about it more and more without getting too upset.

After Pakkun reported back that Sasuke had crossed the border into Water Country, Kakashi met briefly with the Hokage again. Although Kakashi hated the idea of not punishing Sasuke for what he had done, he had to agree with Tsunade that it would be a dangerous and likely fruitless venture to try and bring him back for a trial just to throw him in jail or exact whatever punishment was handed down. They'd already been down that road and learned their lesson. Sasuke was dangerous, but he was smart enough to know he would never be welcome in Konoha again. With no money and no belongings on his person when he left, and his name in every bingo book across the five great nations, Sasuke's chances weren't that great to begin with. They had to let him go.

On the day of Sakura's ultrasound checkup, Kakashi accompanied her through the streets as she made her way to the doctor's office.

"You don't have to come with me, you know. I'm a grown woman," she grumbled.

"I know, but it just feels wrong to let you go by yourself." He shrugged. "Just trying to do the right thing."

"But you hate doctors," she admonished. "Although I _am_ pretty nervous...it may not be such a bad thing to have someone there, and I'm not ready to tell anyone else yet. Maybe I would have brought Ino but I just can't handle re-telling the whole thing right now."

"First of all, I don't hate doctors, just hospitals. If I hated doctors I wouldn't like _you_ so much. And I guess you'll just have to make-do with me," he deadpanned.

The office was painted a sage green color, which Kakashi thought was much more calming than the stark white hospital walls. They only waited a few minutes before a nurse brought them back to a small room. Sakura hopped up onto the padded examination table and Kakashi sprawled into a chair, pulling out _Icha_ _Icha_.

They had to wait longer for the doctor to finally enter the room, and when she did Kakashi respectfully pocketed his book. He actually did kind of regret coming along as next he had to listen to Sakura answer some very personal questions.

"So you did receive the injection and conceived during the lapse in protection?" The doctor clarified.

"Yes," Sakura answered clinically. "Could that hurt the baby since the injection is supposed to last three months?"

"There is a possibility, but it's small. As long as your ultrasound looks normal, you should be fine."

The doctor instructed Sakura to lift her shirt and lay back on the padded table. Kakashi had seen enough TV to not be surprised when a clear gel was applied to Sakura's bare skin, and the doctor swiped a small device over her belly.

"There we go," she said, pointing at the little monitor. "Looks like nine weeks along."

Kakashi heard Sakura gasp in recognition of what she was seeing, and he studied the screen trying to interpret the fuzzy splotches of black and white. He made out a small form that was vaguely bean-shaped, and suddenly the little thing inside Sakura's belly became something more than just a concept—it was tangible and real.

"Does everything look okay? Is it healthy?" Sakura asked anxiously.

Kakashi looked at her then to see tears leaking from her jade eyes. He took her hand, and she squeezed his back.

"Yes, everything looks fine. Based on the ultrasound and your approximate time of conception, I'm going to say you can expect your new arrival about May fifteenth. Would you like a print-out?"

Sakura could only nod, and a minute later the doctor handed her the small picture. As Sakura wiped off her belly and sat up on the table, the doctor launched into her spiel.

"Here is a list of approved over the counter medicines, a list of foods to avoid, and some informational pamphlets. Normal physical activity is fine for now, but pay attention to your body. If anything feels wrong, don't do it. Barring any emergencies, I'd like to see you back here nine to twelve weeks from now; the receptionist can schedule your appointment. Any questions right now?"

"So I can still train with my team?" Sakura asked, surprised.

"Most pregnant women can continue the same physical activities that they regularly did before their pregnancy. This is no different for kunoichi, but I would advise against sparring. Stick to drills and workouts where there is little risk of being caught by a weapon or jutsu, and of course your teammates will need to be mindful of you."

Sakura nodded in understanding, and they made their way back to the front of the office. While Sakura spoke to the receptionist, Kakashi mulled over the doctor's words. _Your teammates will need to be mindful of you_. Naruto. She would have to tell Naruto about the baby, and that meant also telling him everything that had happened with Sasuke, probably sooner as opposed to later. It would not be a pleasant conversation for anyone involved, but it had to be done. Naruto was hotheaded, but his large heart would override his anger. He would want to support Sakura any way he could. On a happier note, the baby was due May fifteenth; that had been Kakashi's mother's birthday. Kakashi found the connection comforting.

He was suddenly brought out of his thoughts when he felt Sakura tugging on his arm.

"Kakashi? We can go now."

"Right, let's go."

Kakashi was secretly pleased when instead of letting go of his arm, Sakura kept a hold on his elbow. It had been ages since they had walked like this, and Kakashi concentrated on the warmth radiating from the woman next to him. They walked in silence for a few minutes before Sakura spoke.

"I'm going to have to tell Naruto soon." Her voice was forlorn.

"Yes, I was just thinking the same thing."

"Will you...will you be there with me, Kakashi? I feel like I need someone there to help keep him from flying off the handle."

"Well if you're worried about the nine-tails then Tenzou would be a better choice..."

She swatted his arm with her free hand.

"It won't be _that_ bad, you pessimist. Now will you be there with me or not?"

"Of course I will, Sakura. Haven't I told you that I'll be in this with you as long as you want me?" His voice was sincere, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

"Not in so many words, you haven't. I won't turn down your help—I need as much of that as I can get. But this baby isn't your responsibility, Kakashi. I don't want you to feel obligated to it or me."

"I don't see it as an obligation," Kakashi assured her. "Quite the opposite, actually. Taking care of you and your baby...is something I want."

Sakura bit her lip and looked away from him. She was provided with a few moments to collect her thoughts as they entered Kakashi's apartment. When she immediately settled into the couch, he followed her to continue their talk.

"I'm scared," she admitted. "I'm scared because being with you...living with you...makes me feel happy. It's so much so soon and you've made me feel so comfortable and I'm so grateful for that. But...I thought I was so happy just a few months ago, and now look at me..."

Her voice broke and Kakashi embraced her gently.

"No, Sakura, don't cry. Shh. I promise I will never, ever, treat you the way he did, and I won't let anyone else hurt you that away again. Come here, don't cry."

She crawled into his lap as he wrapped his arms around her small frame and rocked her gently.

"I made a mistake," she whispered. "That day at the cafe. I walked away from you and it was the biggest mistake I've ever made. You were right all along. I'm sorry, Kakashi."

He tucked her head under his chin and held her a little tighter.

"It's okay, Sakura. It's behind us; what matters is what's in front of us right now."

"But Kakashi," she exclaimed incredulously, "I've ruined everything! You're being so sweet and kind but you can't want someone who's pregnant with another man's child! I chose wrong and now I've lost both of you and I don't know what to do!"

Kakashi let her finish before pulling away so he could look her in the eyes. When he spoke his voice was soft and warm.

"Sakura, what ever made you think that I wouldn't want you? I've never stopped wanting to be with you." He paused to study her face before continuing. When he saw the hope in her eyes he couldn't hold back any more.

"I love you, Sakura. I've loved you since before I knew about the baby, since before Sasuke. That hasn't changed."

Sakura's expression was one of awe and wonder. Her lips were parted and her eyes searched his face.

"All this time...?"

"Yes. All this time. I've only ever wanted to see you happy, Sakura, and I tried to give you what I thought you wanted. If only I had fought harder for you."

Sakura didn't respond right away. Instead, she moved her hands to his face and removed his forehead protector. Next her hands paused at the hem of his mask, and when he didn't move to stop her, she pulled it down around his neck. Kakashi thought she was going to kiss him, but instead she grazed her fingertips over his bare cheeks.

She wasn't just seeing his full face for the first time. It was as if she was seeing _him_ for the first time. Kakashi could practically see her thoughts as her expressions changed. In turn he saw sadness, pain, regret, hope, wonder, and finally happiness.

"Kakashi," she said breathlessly, "For the first time in months I feel hope. I don't know how I feel right now, but I think I can love you. I just need time to heal."

"Take all the time in the world, sweetheart, but just let me love you."

Sakura nodded and laid her head against Kakashi's chest once more. In a few minutes he felt her tense muscles relax, and when he looked down she had fallen asleep in his arms. With a contented smile on his face, Kakashi rose and carried her to the bedroom for a nap. Unable to resist, he laid down next to her and held her in his arms until he too fell asleep.

An hour later, their peaceful slumber was interrupting by someone banging loudly on the front door.

"Kakashi-sensei! Open up!"

_Naruto...and Ino... _ He thought as he sensed both chakras outside his apartment. He groaned. _Looks like the big reveal is going to be a lot sooner than we thought._

Sakura had woken up too, and before rising from the bed he turned to her.

"Naruto and Ino are both here...they must know something is up."

She took a deep, steadying breath.

"It's okay. I can do this. At least I'll only have to tell it once since they're both here. Once Ino knows the whole village will know soon enough anyway."

Kakashi left her then to go answer the door.

"Kakashi-sensei! I know you're home!"

Kakashi opened the door and presented the two blondes with his most annoyed glare. Naruto stood with one fist still poised to hit the door some more, and Ino stood one step behind him. She had one hip cocked and her arms crossed, looking just as annoyed as Kakashi.

"Kakashi-sensei! Tsunade-baa-chan told us Sasuke left again, but wouldn't tell us anything else except that Sakura was here! Now let us in! What's going on?"

Kakashi huffed an exasperated sigh.

"Better come in, then."

He turned to lead them into the living room, then went to the kitchen to find Sakura already making tea. He leaned one hip on the counter next to her and crossed his arms.

"You sure you're ready for this?" He asked her in a low voice. She grimaced, but spoke confidently.

"Might as well get it over with." She paused and her cheeks turned slightly pink. "And now I know I have you...so how bad can it be?"

"They love you. It'll be fine. And I'll put a leash on Naruto if I have to."

He smiled and on impulse, planted a chaste kiss on her temple. She returned the smile and bit her lip in response as she loaded the teapot and cups onto a tray.

"Now or never..." She breathed and moved towards the doorway to the living room.

Kakashi followed her and took a seat next to her on the couch. Naruto and Ino each sat in one of the armchairs, arms crossed and looking at the pair with defensive and somewhat accusatory stares.

"Hey guys..." Sakura started awkwardly.

Suddenly Ino couldn't hold back anymore and burst into interrogation-mode.

"Sakura! Are you okay? What happened? Sasuke leaves and you don't even tell me? Why are you staying with Kakashi? Why won't Tsunade tell me anything?"

"Ino..." Kakashi warned. Sakura laid a hand on his knee, but never looked away from Ino. The blonde girl's eyes narrowed further as she took note of the gesture.

"Sasuke and I broke up." Sakura stated. "It didn't end...well...and he left Konoha."

"Well we figured that much out." Naruto huffed.

"If you want to know what happened, I need you both to promise me to stay calm until I'm finished. It's...difficult...for me to talk about and it will be easier if I can get it out all at once."

Finally both of them were silent and nodded their consent to Sakura's conditions. Sakura took a deep breath and tightened her grip on Kakashi's knee.

"We broke up for two reasons, and you're not going to like either of them," she began slowly. "The first reason...is because Sasuke...Sasuke hit me."

Ino gasped and Naruto growled, but true to their words neither moved. Tears began to leak from Sakura's eyes as she relived her memories.

"It wasn't just one time...it happened more and more...and one day last week...he got really drunk and wouldn't stop."

Sakura paused to regain her composure, and Kakashi placed his warm, comforting hand on her back.

"Kakashi...Kakashi saved me and brought me here. Sasuke fled."

When she didn't continue, Ino asked warily, "You said there were two reasons...what was the other reason?"

Sakura could no longer look at her, and the tears began anew. She tensed and looked down at her feet. Kakashi wanted to spare her the pain she was feeling. He knew she was feeling ashamed, but she shouldn't, and he also knew that her friends wouldn't judge her for this. Finally Sakura spoke again so softly that Kakashi was surprised her friends heard her at all.

"I'm pregnant."

There was a loaded moment of silence as Ino and Naruto comprehended this statement, then both erupted in shouts.

"WHAT?!" Ino exclaimed incredulously, "Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"

Naruto was a little slower on the uptake.

"But Sasuke wanted kids! Wasn't he happy?" Then his expression changed and turned dark. He looked between Sakura and Kakashi with an accusatory stare. "Is it not Sasuke's baby? Kakashi-sensei, did _you_ do this?!"

At this Kakashi couldn't stay silent anymore, his need to defend Sakura taking over his more rational thought. He jumped up from the couch and stalked toward Naruto menacingly. His voice was calm but deadly as he held Naruto in a predatory glare.

"You don't know what you're talking about, Naruto, and if you ever imply that Sasuke was the victim here I will personally make sure that you are never able to have children of your own. Now will you let Sakura finish speaking before you accuse her of any more unsavory actions?"

Naruto gulped and nodded. As Kakashi sat down again, Ino tentatively spoke again.

"Sasuke wasn't happy about the baby, was he?"

Sakura shook her head.

"No. It was an accident...he was really angry. That was why...that night...he snapped."

"Sakura," Ino breathed, "I'm so sorry. Are you okay? What are you going to do?"

"I'm doing better now than I was. It's going to take some time for me to get over what happened, but I have someone else to take care of now, so I'm trying really hard to be strong."

"But what are you going to _do_?" Naruto asked again, "You're going to be a _mom_..."

Sakura glanced at Kakashi, and he nodded. _Go ahead,_ he was saying, _you can tell them._

"I can't be in my apartment right now. Kakashi has agreed to let me stay here for a while. He's...he's taking care of me."

Naruto continued to look suspiciously between Sakura and Kakashi, while Ino sat back into her chair with a sly smile.

"Well I'm glad somebody's taking care of you," said Ino, "but just let us know how we can help. You know, go to the doctor with you, go shopping for baby stuff..."

"Yeah Sakura," Naruto piped up, "Just let us know what to do. We're your friends and we'll always be here for you..."

Kakashi put a hand on her shoulder. Sakura covered his hand with her own and actually let out a small giggle through the last of her tears.

"Thank you both. I'm not going to lie, guys, I'm in way over my head here. Kakashi's got my doctor's appointments covered; he already went to one with me this morning. But I'll definitely need your help buying baby stuff, Ino."

The blonde girl squealed and finally launched herself out of the chair and smothered Sakura in a tight hug.

"Oh, Sakura! I know it's not the way you would have wanted it to happen but you're going to be a mom and I'm still so happy for you!"

"Do you want to see a picture?" Sakura asked as she pulled the small black and white image from her pocket. "My due date is May fifteenth."

Ino squealed again and actually had tears in her own eyes as she took the picture from Sakura.

"You're going to be such a great, mom, Sakura! And I'll babysit for you all the time and we'll make our own little family, okay?"

Kakashi was glad to see such a reaction from Ino. He knew that Sakura's best friend would support her, but this was the first time anyone had talked about her pregnancy in such positive terms. Ino was happy and excited for the impending new arrival, and her enthusiasm was apparently rubbing off on Sakura. He watched them cry and embrace and Ino rubbed Sakura's belly and bent down to coo at the tiny baby growing inside.

Naruto came to sit beside Kakashi.

"So this is really real?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kakashi replied, "it's real."

Both men watched the two girls for a minute more.

"Are you going to stay with her? After the baby's born?"

Kakashi looked to Naruto then. Despite his propensity to be a little denser than most, the blonde man was becoming more and more perceptive as the years went by. Kakashi was pretty sure it had something to do with the sage training, but couldn't be sure.

"Yes. I'll stay with her as long as she'll let me," he said quietly. "I love her. I've loved her for a long time."

Naruto nodded in approval.

"Good. She deserves to be happy, and so do you. I know you guys had something going before Sasuke, anyway. I just can't believe that he still turned out to be such a rat bastard in the end, after everything..."

"That was exactly what I was thinking about him when Sakura called me at two in the morning, pleading for me to come get her. She was so terrified that she couldn't even summon her chakra."

Kakashi could see the rage simmering below Naruto's control at his sobering words.

"Where is he now?" He asked.

"The pack tracked him to the Water Country border. I've already talked to Tsunade. We decided it was too dangerous to go after him. He's in every bingo book already and if he's stupid enough to show up back here he won't be seeing anything but the inside of a cell for a very long time. Or worse if I have my way."

Naruto only nodded. Kakashi was surprised that he didn't question the decision not to go after Sasuke. Apparently Tsunade's Hokage-training was actually having an effect.

Just then Sakura sat back down next to Kakashi.

"Ino suggested the four of us go out to dinner. Want to go?"

"Sounds great," he smiled.

He would do anything to make Sakura feel like herself again.

* * *

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

.

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 5

* * *

With the hardest conversations behind them, Kakashi and Sakura made the best of their "new normal" over the coming weeks. Sakura was every day becoming more of the vivacious woman he remembered from so many months ago, and Kakashi loved her more for it. He was afraid to push her too far too soon, but he made it a point to give her innocent but meaningful touches whenever he could. He held her hand across the table like he used to, but now he also held her hand in the street as they walked together everywhere they went. He placed a hand on her back or her arm whenever they bumped into each other as they fixed meals together in the kitchen. When they watched TV from the couch she cuddled against his side and he wrapped an arm around her waist. Perhaps his favorite thing of all was that she insisted that she slept better with his arms around her at night.

Sakura was working at the hospital again, and the normalcy of her routine appeared to be grounding her. Kakashi took missions, but only shorter ones where he wouldn't be gone more than a few days at a time. He worried that Sakura would become depressed in his absence, but Ino and Naruto spent much of the time with her when he was gone.

Sakura even resumed training with Kakashi, Naruto, and Sai when her hospital schedule allowed. Strictly following her doctor's instructions, she mostly did solo workouts and drills in a corner of the practice field while the guys sparred, but it made her feel like she was still part of the team.

In their own ways, the boys and Ino all became her caregivers. Kakashi took the primary role, of course, since Sakura had more or less moved in with him for the time being, and Ino frequently stopped by to visit or take Sakura out for some girl-time. Naruto and Sai tended to bumble around, not quite knowing the best ways to help Sakura, but they made small, sweet gestures towards her frequently.

Sai was the first one who bowed out of sparring one day to simply practice drills beside Sakura, and from that day on the boys took turns training with Sakura while the other two engaged in more challenging spars.

Naruto liked to buy things; almost every time he stopped over to see Sakura, he had a new toy for the baby or a pack of diapers in hand.

It was getting a little ridiculous, actually. There was a growing pile of baby-things in the corner of Kakashi's living room, and finally Sakura could no longer put off her need to solidify her living situation. Like so many other things in their relationship, Sakura and Kakashi had never really established plans for their future. Kakashi had told her that he wanted to take care of her and her baby, but what did that _mean?_ Was she over-staying her welcome in his home? She couldn't possibly ask him to let her live here with a _baby_…could she? There was no way she could assume he had intended for her to stay longer than it took for her to get back on her feet after her ordeal with Sasuke.

It had now been about two months since Sakura had last set foot in her own apartment. She was now seventeen weeks into her pregnancy, with a growing belly and she could already feel the way the changes in her body were beginning to restrict her movements. She needed to prepare for a long-term living space _now,_ but fear and the need to move on from her past kept her from wanting to ever go back to her old apartment.

What could she do? She could find a new apartment. It would take work, but the boys would surely help her move. But how could she afford someplace with two bedrooms? Her current one bedroom apartment had nearly been more than she could afford anyway, and now she was going to be unable to take as many high-paying missions, even after the baby was born. There was no way she would be able to afford higher rent on primarily her hospital pay.

But Kakashi…he already had a two bedroom apartment. Sakura had no idea why, but he had always lived here. It was clear that he afforded it easily, the result of frequently taking high-paying A- and S- ranked missions in combination with his minimalist lifestyle. The second bedroom didn't even have a bed in it. Sakura had once peeked in there to find it strewn with extra weapons, the only real piece of furniture being an old, dusty dresser.

Could she ask such a huge, life-changing favor of Kakashi? It was one thing when it was just her living with him—an adult who could eat and bathe and take care of herself—but to ask him to consider living with her newborn child? It would be tantamount to asking him to be the child's surrogate father. _I want to take care of you,_ he had said. He loved her, too, she knew. But how far was he willing to go with this relationship? Would he be willing to fill that role in her child's life? For that matter, did she want him to?

Well that was something she hadn't yet considered. All this time she had spent worrying and focusing on what Kakashi would or would not want. But what did _she_ want out of their relationship? What was Kakashi to her?

_Safety_. _Happiness_.

The words came easily and unbidden to her mind. She felt safer with Kakashi than she ever had with anyone before. Not just because he had rescued her from Sasuke's rage, but also because that's what he had always represented. From the time she was a useless Genin, he had been there for her with whatever she had needed, whether it was protection from an enemy or a shoulder to cry on. And never had she ever been happier than when she was with Kakashi; there was no denying that.

So yes, she wanted Kakashi in her life. In her child's life. She had never let herself consider this before, but now that the idea was planted in her mind, she wanted it desperately. It was too perfect. He had the space for them to live together, he loved her, and he could help her raise her child.

Her heavy thoughts were interrupted by the front door swinging open and a cold gust of December air as Kakashi himself hurried into the warmth of the apartment.

"Sakura? Why is it so dark in here?"

Apparently she had not realized how late and dark it had gotten outside. She heard Kakashi stomping his boots on the rug by the door, and a minute later he had turned on a lamp and was sitting down beside her on the couch.

"Hey," he started again as she curled into his embrace and gave a contended sigh. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah…I was just doing some thinking."

"Always dangerous coming from you."

She felt rather than saw the grin on his face. Knowing he wouldn't press her but also knowing the conversation needed to be had, she pulled away from him again so that she could look at him properly. He sat up and held her gaze, knowing that she must want to discuss something important.

"Kakashi…I don't want to go back to my old apartment again. I can't live there anymore, not after everything that's happened."

She paused to gauge Kakashi's reaction so far, but his face was passive and he remained silent. After a moment he gave her hand an encouraging squeeze, telling her without words that it was okay, he understood.

"I'm so happy here, with you," she continued. "I know that it's so much to ask of you, but I want to stay here with you, permanently. I know it's crazy but I love you and with you around I don't feel so scared, I feel like I can actually do this and live my life the way I'm supposed to…"

Sakura trailed off at the look on Kakashi's face. Well, from what she could see of it anyway. His one visible eye was wide and the hand that wasn't already grasping hers slowly made its way to her cheek.

"Sakura, you love me?" He asked quietly.

She flushed at his question. He told her often that he loved her, but she had never returned the words. She hadn't even realized they had come out of her mouth, but in that moment she knew that they were true. She nodded and a smile spread across her face.

"Yes, Kakashi, I love you."

In an instant he tugged at his mask and closed the distance between them and pressed his lips to hers. Sakura reveled in the way his strong arms wrapped around her, the warmth of his body the only thing that mattered just then. After a few moments, they pulled away breathless, and Kakashi rested his forehead against hers. His eyes remained closed and his breathing heavy as his next words came out in a rush. He couldn't stop them even if he had wanted to.

"I love you too. Stay. Forever. I'll take care of you, and the baby. I'll get up in the middle of the night, and teach him to walk, and I'll love him as if he were my own."

"And if it's a girl?"

Confused, Kakashi pulled away from Sakura and opened his eyes, only to see Sakura grinning and with tears running down her cheeks. Belatedly catching her joke, and marveling at how quickly her mood had changed, he grinned back.

"If it's a girl then I'll love her even more."

"You really mean it? We can move in with you? You'll be like a father to my child?"

"Yes, Sakura, that's what I want. I'll be everything you deserve to have, and I'll be the father that this baby deserves, too."

* * *

Another week passed and Sakura could feel her spirits lifting higher every day. She was proud of herself for the confidence she felt, in no small part due to Kakashi's influence. His adoration of her had increased enormously now that their feelings were out in the open and on equal ground. Sakura couldn't help but feel giddy whenever she thought of his arms around her and the grin that he hid from everyone but her.

She could feel herself grinning just thinking about Kakashi as she made her way home from the hospital. Kakashi's apartment, now _their_ apartment, she supposed, was actually closer to both the hospital and the main restaurant district. This really shouldn't have been a surprise to Sakura, given Kakashi's tendencies to need medical treatment on a regular basis and to avoid doing dishes whenever possible. So on this night, Sakura stopped by one such restaurant and brought home dinner for the two of them.

Upon arriving home, she opened the door and found a huge mess in the living room—it appeared that Kakashi had chosen today of all days to clean out the second bedroom. Sakura left the bag of take out on the kitchen table and made her way to the back room, where she stopped in the doorway with a soft gasp.

"Kakashi—" she started before she lost her train of thought.

The floor was draped in old sheets, and Kakashi paused to turn to her, a paintbrush poised in his hand and a streak of matching color on his cheek. He gave her a wide smile.

"Surprise, Sakura. Do you like it?"

Two walls had been painted a light, mint green color, and Kakashi had just begun trimming the third wall when Sakura walked in.

She _loved_ it. She was in awe of his thoughtfulness and for a moment couldn't express her gratitude. Without a verbal response, Kakashi continued to explain, while rubbing one paint-covered hand along the back of his neck bashfully.

"The color was Ino's idea, but if you don't like it I'll re-do it. She was thinking that if it's a boy we could buy green and blue baby things and if it's a girl we could buy green and pink…"

"It's perfect, Kakashi. I love it…"

Sakura could feel tears brimming in her eyes without knowing why they were there, and upon seeing the concerned look on Kakashi's face she laughed.

"Happy tears, Kakashi, these are happy tears. This is amazing and I'm a little overwhelmed, that's all."

He strode towards her then and gave her a quick kiss.

"Oh good. I was really hoping to avoid re-painting those two walls."

Sakura swatted the back of his head before settling her arms around his waist and her cheek against his chest, with a smile on her lips.

"You're impossible."

"No, I'm hungry. Did I smell dinner when you walked in?"

* * *

When Sakura made it to the twentieth week of her pregnancy, it was time for her next ultrasound. Her stomach seemed to have ballooned in the last few weeks, and her condition was quite obvious as she walked through the village with Kakashi on her way to the doctor's office again.

"You know everyone will assume the baby is yours, right?" She was eyeing him as they walked, with her hand in the crook of his elbow.

Kakashi shrugged.

"Let them. As far as I'm concerned the baby _is_ mine. Just because it doesn't have my DNA doesn't make a difference to me."

Sakura let out the breath she didn't realize she had been holding. Periodically her self-conscious fears would surface and she still felt like she had to make sure Kakashi hadn't changed his mind about the whole thing. His answers never wavered, and once again she felt reassured.

When Sakura was seated once more on the padded examination table inside the doctor's office, she felt excited and anxious. Today they would find out the sex of the baby. She hadn't decided if she had a preference one way or the other, and hadn't had the courage to ask Kakashi either.

_Get on with it,_ Sakura thought as she answered the tedious questions asked by the doctor about her general well being. Really, she felt as if she had a pretty easy pregnancy thus far. There were some aches and pains and she was a bit afraid that she was already beginning to waddle, but Sakura had taken it all in stride, with Kakashi there to help her. She was grateful for this, of course, but it was so monumentally boring and she just wanted to know if she should start calling the baby "he" or "she."

Sakura never thought she would be excited to feel the cold goo and the uncomfortable pressure of the monitor being swiped across her belly, but somehow that was her dominant emotion as Kakashi took her hand and the doctor pressed some keys on the keyboard to freeze the image on the screen.

"Everything looks completely normal, if not a few days ahead of schedule, which isn't a bad thing. Do you want to know the sex?"

Sakura could only nod emphatically as she bit her lip in anticipation.

"Yes please, Doctor." Kakashi answered for her. She found his smooth voice to be very calming.

"Congratulations, you're expecting a healthy baby boy."

"Oh!" She gasped. She was staring transfixed at the little monitor; she could feel the tears beginning to fall again, but she could also feel the wide smile on her lips.

A boy. She was going to have a baby boy. A _son_.

All of her anxiousness left her, and all she could feel was happiness. It was bliss, being able to see this little blur of black and white on the screen that she knew was the baby inside her belly.

Beside her, Kakashi was still squeezing her hand tightly, and she felt him tuck a lock of hair behind her ear to get her attention. When she tore her gaze away from the screen and looked at him, she knew he was smiling just as wide. His one visible eye was squeezed shut in that happy crinkle she had come to know so well, but under the fabric of his mask she could see the round apples of his cheeks that indicated his true grin.

As she shared this happy moment with Kakashi, Sakura was struck by an overwhelming feeling of tranquility. This was her family now—Kakashi and the little one that he had agreed to love and raise as his own son. She was struck by how truly lucky she was, and for the first time in a long time, found herself looking forward to her future as long as he was beside her.

* * *

Sakura was especially exultant in the coming days, sharing the news of her baby boy with anyone who would listen. Kakashi was overjoyed for her and her newfound happiness.

_If you're happy, Sakura, then I'm happy._

And he was, truly. His meandering life had a direction again, and Sakura was leading the way in that charming, bossy way that only she could.

He was admittedly a bit apprehensive at his impending fatherhood. Kakashi was used to hard, ungentle things in his hands—the feel of a kunai in his tight grip, the swing of a sword, a ball of white-hot electric chakra. He was not a gentle person by nature, and the thought of holding a helpless, _fragile_ little baby was becoming more frightening than facing an enemy in battle.

Sakura thought this was ridiculous, of course.

"Kakashi," she had told him with a hint of exasperation, "He's just a _baby,_ not a bomb about to go off in your hand."

Kakashi shot her a panicked look at this comparison. As far as he was concerned a baby was _exactly_ like a bomb in his hand; he knew that they could be sleeping peacefully one minute and the next they were screaming or crying or leaking something unpleasant.

"As long as you don't drop him you'll be fine. Besides, you have the best hand-eye coordination of any ninja I know. If you can't manage to _not-drop_ a baby then you might as well go turn in your headband."

He'd had to concede the argument at that point.

* * *

It was a few days later that Kakashi found Sakura one evening at the sink, washing the same plate over and over again and looking pensive as she stared out the window.

"Sakura," he said soothingly, "I think that one's clean; here let me take it. What's the matter?"

She inhaled deeply as she was stirred from her reverie.

"Sorry," she whispered with a tiny grimace, "Just thinking again."

"About Sasuke?" Kakashi guessed, based on her demeanor. He finished drying the plate and steered Sakura to sit at the kitchen table.

Her hand passed absently over her stomach as she sat down, and she paused a moment before replying.

"Yes, but not about the night he…left. I was thinking about this guy," she patted her round stomach affectionately. "He's going to have Uchiha blood, whether we like it or not. And he might awaken the Sharingan." She looked pointedly at Kakashi before biting her lip and looking away.

Kakashi knew they would have this conversation at some point, and he was prepared.

"I'll teach him, Sakura. It will be okay. When the time comes I'll guide him and teach him everything I know about the Sharingan. Well, except maybe about the Mangekyo. I bet I could even get clearance to take a look at the Uchiha vaults, see if there's anything else useful in there…"

He trailed off and they were both quiet for a few minutes. Kakashi stared at Sakura. She still looked worried, and she bit her lip before frowning with her reply.

"But it's not guaranteed that the Sharingan will manifest, right?"

Kakashi let loose a long, thoughtful sigh.

"No, it's not…"

"I sense a 'but' coming."

_Can't get anything by her,_ he thought with an odd sense of pride.

"_But_…Tsunade knows the baby is an Uchiha by blood, and so the Council knows too. They _will_ interfere. They don't want to lose the Sharingan completely—"

"Well then they shouldn't have murdered the whole clan now, shouldn't they!"

"That's besides the point, Sakura—they see it as too valuable a weapon to lose right now. I think…I think it would be in our best interest—in _his_ best interest—if we try to draw out the Sharingan."

He paused to let that sink in.

"_No."_

Kakashi could see the anger building in Sakura's eyes, so he surged forward with his explanation before she could launch into a tirade.

"Let me explain—the Sharingan typically manifests anytime between ages eight and fifteen, depending on if there is an event that triggers it before it would naturally happen. That's potentially _eight_ _years_ that the Council will be keeping close tabs on him, meddling in his life—"

"I refuse to let my son be raised as a weapon, Kakashi! And what the hell do you mean by _'draw it out?'_ What are you going to do—send him on an A-rank mission and hope he doesn't get killed?!"

"No, of course not! I'll come up with a safe, controlled, way to make it happen here—"

"I said _no!"_

They were both standing again, fuming at each other. Sakura's hands were balled into fists at her side. This was the first time Kakashi had seen Sakura act so protective—so motherly—over her son. He closed his eyes and took a deep, calming breath.

"Sakura," he started again gently, placing his hands lightly on her upper arms. She stayed quiet and appeared to be willing to let him continue. "I want what's best for him too. What's best for our son."

It was maybe just a tiny bit manipulative to use those words, even though they were true. _Our son._ But Kakashi was still pleased when he could see the anger melt from Sakura's face.

"Sakura, possessing the Sharingan comes with challenges and great responsibility, but I will be here to guide him."

"That still doesn't change the fact that the Council will find a way to use him."

"Unfortunately that's going to happen either way. If we don't draw out the Sharingan they'll pull their own strings to try and make it happen. Then he _really_ might be sent on an advanced mission he's not ready for…"

Sakura processed this thought, and Kakashi could see her coming around to his opinion. She looked scared, so he pulled her into a hug.

"Fine," she sighed. "I guess you're probably right. When you put it that way it seems like we don't have much of a choice."

"He will still be just like any other ninja kid. It will be alright, Sakura."

She nodded, and they made their way to the couch to spend the rest of the evening reading, per their usual routine.

"And so the Sharingan passes to the Hatake clan, I suppose…" Kakashi mused quietly a few minutes later. It was more to himself than to Sakura, but she was not so lost in her own thoughts that she missed that comment.

"You…want the baby to have your surname?" she questioned.

He could feel a blush coming on and was once again grateful for his mask, although he would bet Sakura could see his flush high on his cheeks.

"Well...I thought it would make sense…because, we would probably, eventually...you know…get married?"

_Real smooth, Hatake._

Oh dear god. How did they end up talking about _marriage_ right now? Not that he didn't want to marry Sakura—because he most certainly did—but they weren't ready for that yet. He was afraid of her reaction to that not-so-little confession.

Fortunately for Kakashi, Sakura knew him well enough to take it all in stride. She smiled that warm, comforting smile that he loved and took his hand.

"I'd like that very much…_eventually_."

He let go of a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"And I'll also expect that when we're ready, you'll propose in a more romantic way than that."

He nodded sheepishly, and when he looked in her eyes again he saw mischief. He was forgiven, for now at least.

He decided he could take one more chance with her now that she seemed to be in a playful mood. Before Sakura could even react, he had her in a loose embrace and kissed her ardently. She broke away and squealed in delight, their books forgotten by now.

They spent the rest of the evening making out like teenagers, and indeed Kakashi hadn't felt so _young_ in a long time.

* * *

In the middle of January, Sakura was nearing her twenty-fourth week of pregnancy, and Kakashi thought she was radiant. Although she still had bad days (as everyone does), her happiness was near constant, and always contagious. Where once Kakashi had thought he needed to lead her through the darkness, there was now only light, with Sakura at the center of his world.

As they cuddled on the couch one evening, each content with their separate books, Kakashi asked a question he had been thinking about for a little while now.

"Sakura." He waited for her to come to a stopping point in her book before she looked up at him expectantly. "Have you thought anymore about…names?"

He was mildly amused to see her blush.

"I have." She started slowly, hesitant to elaborate.

He nudged her playfully.

"Care to share?"

She took a deep breath and was fighting back an embarrassed grin.

"Well, I've had a couple of ideas. At first I thought I liked the idea of naming him Sakumo…but then I thought maybe you would like to, ah, save that name…" she trailed off and her face was as bright as her hair.

Kakashi felt a multitude of emotions at this confession. First, he was honored that she would want to name her child after his father, someone who he had finally come to respect and admire. Second, he was floored by her admission that she was planning on having more children. With him. That thought was exhilarating and terrifying and humbling, all at the same time.

"Sakura…I'm touched, really." He said earnestly. "Is it selfish of me to agree with you?"

"No," she said with a smile, "It's not at all. And besides, I think I've come up with a more fitting name."

She waited for a reaction from him, but Kakashi simply stayed quiet and waited for her to continue. Finally she gave in.

"I think we should name him Obito. He does have Uchiha blood, after all, so it seemed fitting to me."

_Obito_.

Kakashi was speechless as he processed this suggestion from Sakura.

It had been during one of their many late-night dinner conversations—a year ago already—in which he had told her the sad story of his first teammates. He was touched that she remembered now. The loss of Obito had shaped his life more than any other death Kakashi had experienced. Obito had given Kakashi his Sharingan, propelling him to unrivaled combat skills and into international fame. Obito had also instilled his ninja way into Kakashi, and that guiding principal had kept Kakashi on the right path for the majority of his life. He owed everything to his friend that died too young.

"Kakashi?" Sakura prompted gently.

He realized that he had been quiet for a few minutes, reliving his memories and considering what Obito had meant to him.

"Sakura...I would be honored if we named him Obito," he finally breathed. His voice was low and he felt a lump form in his throat.

"Hatake Obito it is then," she smiled and crawled into his lap, their books forgotten.

Kakashi kissed the top of her head lovingly and held her until she fell asleep.

_You would be proud of me, Obito._

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

.

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 6

* * *

As January bled into February, Sakura was fortunate to be mostly scheduled for day shifts at the hospital, which meant that she was home in the evenings with Kakashi. He knew to expect her home promptly at 6:15, and had even started dabbling in the kitchen.

It had been comical until one night he watched her cook using the Sharingan, and now his culinary skills were quickly surpassing hers. She gave a small laugh to herself at this. Was there anything that man wasn't good at?

They had decided on take out tonight, however, and Sakura made a slight detour from the hospital to stop at their favorite noodle shop, the one not far from her old apartment.

So when Sakura returned home with their food a few minutes later than usual, she was surprised that Kakashi wasn't waiting for her impatiently. In fact, not only was he not waiting practically on the doorstep, but he was actually holed up in the bedroom. With the door closed, speaking quietly to someone in an urgent tone.

_Who on earth…?_

Upon listening closer, she found she could hear Kakashi's muffled voice, but no one else's. He was either talking to himself or he was on the phone they rarely used.

Who was Kakashi speaking with? And why did he appear to want to keep it a secret?

Sakura tiptoed towards the door, but abruptly she heard Kakashi end the call with an irritated tone. The door swung open and for a second Sakura flinched away from him at the anger he was emanating.

"Who were you on the phone with?" she asked warily.

He turned to her and his expression softened.

"It was no one. Just forget it."

Clearly he wasn't going to elaborate, and Sakura dropped the subject in order to avoid his already sour mood.

She tried _really_ hard over the next few weeks not to be bothered by Kakashi's avoidance of his secretive phone call. The man was allowed some privacy and she had no reason to believe he would hide anything important from her.

But why would he hide anything _at all? _ Was it something embarrassing? Incriminating? Or was he purposefully trying to keep her from finding something out?

Kakashi didn't get embarrassed. He read pornography in public for crying out loud! Something incriminating? That was a real possibility; Sakura had a feeling he still had ties to ANBU, and there was no telling what he might be getting involved in if ANBU were involved. Not that he was necessarily doing anything that would get him thrown in jail. Not in Konoha, anyway, although pretty much everything ANBU did would get them arrested or worse in another country.

It seemed reasonable enough to be the most likely cause of that peculiar incident. If it was business or mission related, she had no reason to pry.

That is, until she started noticing that Kakashi was having secret phone calls more frequently. Once more she came home only to catch him leaving the bedroom with the cordless phone in hand, and he was becoming increasingly irritable with no explanation. He brushed her off if she tried to ask if something was bothering him.

His missions were becoming more frequent as well, and finally Sakura began to wonder and worry. She checked the call log on the phone when Kakashi was out one afternoon, but of course he had cleared it. He was a ninja after all; it's not like he would leave evidence just laying around in the open.

Twice she left the hospital ten minutes early to see if she could catch him off guard, and one of those days she caught him for a third time. He immediately ended the call and quickly diverted her attention. She played along.

Kakashi was clearly hiding something from her, and it wasn't business. If it was mission-related, he would have given her some indication that something was brewing. They talked about missions all the time, and he had never even dropped a hint that there was anything amiss.

_What are you up to, Kakashi?_

She immediately ruled out the possibility that he was seeing another woman. Although it would have been Ino's first guess, Sakura was confident in her relationship with Kakashi. They had been through too much together for her to even think that Kakashi would be capable of hurting her that way.

But what, then? What could he possibly want to hide from her?

They spoke often and openly about everyone they knew—everyone from Naruto to Genma to Tsunade. There were no secrets they didn't share. _Perhaps we gossip a little too much,_ she thought ruefully.

The affairs of the village were remarkably stable as well. Their economy was strong and there was not much to complain about these days. In fact, the only major drama that had happened recently was her own incident with Sasuke.

At the thought, the color suddenly drained from Sakura's face.

_Sasuke._

Kakashi must have information on Sasuke that he didn't want her to find.

She glanced at the clock. It was late in the evening and Kakashi had been urgently summoned to the Hokage's office, which most likely meant he would be leaving for a mission first thing in the morning. Debating for a moment, Sakura figured she had about half an hour until Kakashi would be home from his meeting with Tsunade.

Frantically, she made her way to the bedroom and checked the most obvious spots first. His sock drawer, the drawer in the nightstand, under the edges of the mattress. Of course there was nothing there, but you could never rule out the obvious without checking first. She scoured the bedroom before moving to the desk in one corner of the main room. Nothing. No notes, no secret compartments. She was a ninja too, after all...she would find out what Kakashi was up to.

Where would he hide his intel?

She considered the possibility that he kept it on his person, but she ruled that out. They touched and hugged and cuddled often enough that she would have noticed an extra notebook or papers in his pockets. He must have a spot where he stashed things while she wasn't home.

_Underneath the underneath._

Sakura had checked every spot she could think of, except the literal underneath. The floor. Still obvious, but where else was he going to hide something in his own apartment?

She studied the hardwood boards until she found one section in the corner of the living room where the gap seemed slightly larger than the others by a couple of millimeters. Glancing again at the clock and reminding herself to listen carefully for Kakashi's return, she knelt down and gently forced her chakra under the board and up.

It wasn't difficult; the board was already loose.

Once it was free, she eagerly stretched her arm into the hole in the floor, struggling a little due to her limited movement. Her fingers brushed against the rough leather of a small book, and she stretched a little further to grasp it.

It was a nondescript, standard issue notebook that was well worn with use. Sakura began to flip through the yellowed pages faster than Kakashi read _Icha Icha. _

She saw Sasuke's name on every page.

She was right. Kakashi had been keeping tabs on Sasuke and hiding it from her! She could understand his desire to keep track of the treacherous swine, but why hide it? She deserved to know what was going on with Sasuke more than anyone in this village. She was carrying Sasuke's _child, _after all. Not that she enjoyed that fact, but it at least entitled her to know about Sasuke's whereabouts!

Hurriedly, she flipped to the front of the book and glanced at the date on the first page. The first entry was dated shortly after her first Chunin exam...after Sasuke had abandoned the village the first time.

_He's been keeping notes for years,_ she realized.

With growing horror, she flipped through a few pages at a time. Phrases jumped out at her and she could only just keep herself from flinging the little book away from her in disgust.

_Sasuke sighted at Orochimaru's last known location 16 km north of Sound territory._

_Reports of person matching Sasuke's description on Fire Country border, 3 km west of main trade route._

_Subject reportedly engaged five Iwa nin in conflict over stolen weapons. Bodies recovered by Iwa; confirmed none belonging to Sasuke._

Sasuke's movements and crimes were all there, catalogued in chronological order, growing more and more heinous until she came to the incident in which Sakura had made an ill-conceived attempt on his life. If Kakashi hadn't followed her, she would have died that day by Sasuke's hand.

The reports were spotty after that, and then there was a gap of a couple of pages, until a new entry marked the date he returned to the village. Apparently Kakashi was keeping tabs on him even while at home. Then suddenly the writing changed, becoming more frantic and Sakura noted the dates on these pages occurred recently, after Sasuke had fled the village again.

He had even made an entry the very first day Sakura had lived in his apartment.

This was tantamount to betrayal in Sakura's mind. Her head was spinning as she tried to process just how much Kakashi had hidden from her, and what it meant. Kakashi didn't trust her with this information. He assumed she would be unable to take it, that she would be too _fragile_. She felt hot tears welling up in her eyes and she remained ungracefully seated on the living room floor.

And that was how Kakashi found her when he walked in the door thirty seconds later.

She saw his visible eye take in the scene before him, understanding in a fraction of a second, but his face remained unreadable.

"Sakura—" he started darkly, before she cut him off.

"What the hell is this? What _hell_ is this?!" She shouted as she brandished the notebook in his direction.

"I think you know what it is, Sakura."

His voice was cold and his face was hard. He was just as angry with her for finding the notebook, as she was for him keeping it.

"I mean, why have you been hiding this from me!"

Tears were streaming down her face now, but Kakashi's expression didn't soften.

"I didn't think it would be a good idea for you to know right now! You've been doing so well and I didn't want to stress you out—because believe me Sasuke has been _my_ biggest headache for the last seven years—"

"And you don't think he's made my life difficult either? Look at me!" She shouted pitifully from the floor.

Kakashi sighed and moved to help her stand, prying the little black book from her hands in the process.

"You should have left this alone. I didn't want you to find that book and I thought you would respect my privacy."

She raised a hand intending to smack him across the cheek, but Kakashi caught it easily. Instead she rounded on him with her words again.

"Your _privacy?_ That's what you're so worried about right now? You invite me to live with you, and tell me you want me to feel safe and comfortable, and you do that by _lying_ to me? Lying to me about the biggest, most terrible mistake I've ever made in my life and you think that's respecting _me?"_

"I didn't lie to you—I would have answered a question if you had asked me—I just...opted not to volunteer the information."

"It's the same fucking thing!"

"It was for your own good. You went after him once—"

"When I was fifteen years old! Why the hell would I want him back now!"

"He's dangerous, Sakura, and I need to make sure we keep track of him. You don't need to worry about it; I've got it covered. If there's anything you need to know I'll tell you."

She gave a derisive snort.

"So I'm just supposed to sit here and wait for you to decide what I can and cannot handle knowing? You can go fuck yourself if you think so little of me."

"I don't think you want to know, anyway. He's turned into an even bigger shit since he left you a few months ago. You're a better person without his presence hanging over your head."

Sakura wrenched her hands away from his grasp and stormed away towards the bedroom. She couldn't take any more of this arguing in circles.

"That may be true, but I have never appreciated being treated like a child, Kakashi. I guess that's how you still see me."

He caught her arm again.

"Don't play that childish card with me. You know very well that you're my equal in all ways _and_ that I love you. I'm just trying to protect you."

"If I'm your equal then you should trust me enough to keep me in the loop. Good night, Kakashi."

Her words were quiet but spoken with venom, and with that Sakura shut herself in the bedroom and locked the door.

* * *

Kakashi heard the audible click of the lock, and sighed. They both knew that a simple lock was no defense against a ninja, but the message was clear. _You're not welcome here._

He would leave her alone for a while to cool down. He would need to get in there eventually to grab the go-bag he kept packed for missions, though.

Settling onto the couch, he pulled out _Icha_ _Icha,_ intent on getting some reading in to calm himself down as well. But he just couldn't focus.

He never intended for Sakura to find out he was keeping tabs on Sasuke, and he really was angry with her for going through his things. He knew he should have done something else with that notebook, but didn't think she would ever actually go looking for something without knowing what to look for.

Which only meant that she had figured out what he was doing anyway, before even finding the damn thing.

Kakashi groaned. He'd been careless around her, and stupidly underestimated her intelligence. No wonder she was insulted.

His contacts in ANBU were difficult to get in touch with, and unfortunately he had lately been forced to wait for times when it was convenient for _their_ schedules to exchange information. This was typically the hour before Sakura returned home from the hospital, and the damn ANBU liked to make him sweat and wait until almost the end of the hour before giving their update. Whether it was a lucky guess or if Sakura had found some other evidence of who he had been in contact with, Kakashi didn't know.

Everything he'd said was true—he was trying to protect her and honestly thought she was better off not knowing. He just wanted her to be happy and he knew that thoughts of Sasuke always brought her down. If she knew everything about Sasuke's whereabouts all the time it might also cause extra stress, which would be bad for the baby. And at the same time, he really would have told her the truth if she had come to him and asked, "Hey, any word about Sasuke lately?"

Kakashi winced to himself as the thought crossed his mind. Maybe that wasn't completely true. He would have answered her questions, certainly, but probably would have omitted a lot of details.

Everything Sakura had said was true, too. He was treating her like she was weak, like she was still the little thirteen-year old girl whose ignorance of the world and its dirty ways kept her innocence.

Sakura was not a girl, and she was far from innocent. She had seen many people die, both at the hospital and on the battlefield, and Kakashi had seen her take lives with her own hands when it was necessary. Killing and death was the ugly essence of being a ninja, the one not taught to aspiring students at the Academy. Killing was a rite of passage in the ninja world.

Why again had he thought he needed to protect Sakura? Kakashi could feel his arguments growing feebler as he continued to reflect.

Her accusation that he was not making her feel welcome in their home struck him especially hard. He'd promised to make her feel comfortable in her home again, after having suffered under the oppressive rule of Sasuke in the flesh. And all Kakashi had done tonight was effectively told her, _this is my home, not yours. You had no right to touch what isn't yours._

Kakashi was disgusted with himself. Sakura did not deserve to be treated this way.

With a frustrated growl he halfheartedly punched one of the throw pillows on the couch, then closed his eyes to calm himself. _Go apologize, you colossal idiot._

But when Kakashi tried the doorknob gently, it was still locked, and when he pressed his ear to the door he could hear Sakura snoring lightly.

Not having the heart to wake her now that she was sleeping peacefully, Kakashi trudged back to the couch. Okay, maybe he was also being a bit of a coward. He had never been good at admitting fault, especially when a feisty kunoichi such as Sakura was the one he had to apologize to. _His_ feisty kunoichi, he thought with a grin.

* * *

Sakura woke the next morning when sunlight streamed through the window and hit her face. She resisted consciousness as much as she could, and brushed at her forehead where she thought she had felt Kakashi kiss her lightly not long ago.

_Kakashi…_

Suddenly awake, Sakura bolted upright, and was severely disappointed to not find a Copy Ninja in her bed. She frowned to herself as regret washed over her. Of course, he'd left for a mission this morning, and they had wasted their evening fighting last night. She glanced in the direction of the bedroom door and sure enough, Kakashi's pack was missing from its normal spot on the floor next to his bookshelf.

Her eyes were puffy and tired from crying herself to sleep, and she had to fight tears from welling up again over the sheer stupidity of it all.

"Obito," She said quietly to her swollen belly, rubbing it lightly, "Your parents are sometimes stubborn to the point of idiocy. I'm sorry for that."

She turned to glance at the clock on the nightstand, and saw the very same leather bound notebook that had caused this mess sitting there, with a piece of paper folded on top.

The page was clearly ripped right out of the notebook, and Kakashi's messy handwriting was scrawled across it.

_Sakura,_

_You're right. I'm sorry I hid this from you. I'll tell you everything when I get back in a week._

_I love you._

_Kakashi_

This time Sakura couldn't help the tears from coming, but she did her best to stifle them quickly. While she was still upset that Kakashi had kept such a big secret from her, she didn't want to be angry with him anymore. It took too much energy, and she just wanted to make up and move on from their fight. Mostly she just wished Kakashi was here so he could hug her.

After a few more minutes of both of self-pity and self-criticism, Sakura finally caught a glimpse at the clock on the nightstand and yelped. She was going to be late for work at the hospital, again. Splashing water on her face and hurriedly dressing, she grudgingly made her way to work.

It was the end of February now, and Sakura was into the third trimester of her pregnancy. Ino had helped her pick out some maternity clothes that were both comfortable and stylish, but Sakura still felt like a whale whenever she had to move. Especially when she was in a hurry. She missed how easily she had once been able to leap from one rooftop to the next in order to avoid the foot traffic on the busy streets. But now, she was neither as flexible nor as quick as she used to be, and so wisely stuck to walking on solid ground.

She was gratified that Kakashi had left the notebook for her to read this week, although she still felt a pang of guilt over their fight. She could have handled that better; she could have tried _talking_ to him instead if yelling at him.

She sighed at herself as she neared the hospital. It was going to be a long, frustrating week waiting for Kakashi to return.

As the week moved on, Sakura was grateful at least that she still had plenty of work at the hospital to keep both her mind and her hands occupied. She even had another routine check up with her doctor, to which Ino eagerly accompanied her in Kakashi's absence. Although the days were steadily passing, she was looking for anything—_anything_—that would help pass the time. Tsunade had put her foot down at Sakura taking extra shifts at the hospital, though, which annoyed Sakura to no end.

"You are thirty weeks pregnant, Sakura," she had scolded, "You need rest."

During the evenings and on her days off, Sakura read through all of Kakashi's notes twice. She was loath to admit that reading about Sasuke's movements made her feel a little sick. The first time through, she had to fight to keep herself from drowning in the memories of the night he had fled Konoha.

_It's alright now. He's far away. You're safe here, with Kakashi._

Forcing herself to read through the notebook a second time allowed her to move past her anxiety and focus on the facts.

Sasuke had been spotted all over during the last few months, everywhere from inside Fire Country to the northernmost territories, more often than not leaving at least one dead body in his wake. The information Kakashi had on each incident was scarce. It seemed that most times, the only reason Sasuke had been sighted at all was because of the mess he left behind; if he hadn't killed anyone they may not have ever known his location.

Lately there had been more sightings and incidents, and while they were not near enough to Konoha to raise much alarm, there _were_ a handful within Fire Country. Most of the conflicts seemed to be centered around trade posts; presumably Sasuke was trying to procure supplies. He had left only with the clothes on his back, and Sakura neither knew nor cared how he had managed to survive this long, but she had to wonder at his motives. What was his long-term plan? She would have to pick Kakashi's brain when he returned.

Sakura was scheduled off of work on the day Kakashi was due back from his mission. It was torturous though, having little to occupy herself as she waited. The day stretched on and Kakashi didn't make an appearance. She didn't worry too much, but she just wanted him to be home so they could properly make up from their fight.

But when the next day arrived and Kakashi was still not home, she couldn't help but worry a bit. When Sakura had gone to the Hokage, Tsunade was vague and unhelpful.

"He just went to a settlement on the Suna border to take down some crime-boss," she said with a wave of her hand, not even looking up from her paperwork. "Gaara was sending Kankuro to meet him, too. I'm sure he's fine, Sakura."

"If it was a small-time crime boss then why was it so urgent?"

"Gaara was getting pressure from his Daimyo to settle the issue, but he needed help from Konoha since it's a border town. He helped us with a similar problem last year so I needed to act promptly. Do you have any other silly questions?"

With a huff, Sakura made her way home that night with little more than the consolation that at least Kakashi hadn't been traveling far.

Feeling down, Sakura struggled with the key in the old, rusty lock and forced the front door open, then promptly yelped when there was a hacking cough from the direction of the living room.

"Kakashi?" She called breathlessly.

There was a weak wave of an arm over the back of the couch in acknowledgement, and Sakura rushed over.

Kakashi was sprawled on the couch, bleeding in at least five places and cradling one arm to his chest.

"There's my girl," he said with a weak smile, which was in Sakura's full view, as it appeared his mask had been torn to pieces.

Sakura frowned in response.

"How long have you been here?" She questioned as she knelt down to assess Kakashi's injuries.

"'Bout an hour."

"You should have come to the hospital!"

"I knew you'd be home soon, it's not that bad..."

Sakura pursed her lips to avoid starting another argument. His injuries weren't fatal, sure, but what if they had been? What if her chakra had been depleted to the point where she couldn't heal him when she got home?

She stayed silent while she worked, and was aware of Kakashi's eye on her the whole time. She healed his deep cuts first—kunai wounds—as they were still bleeding freely. Then she helped Kakashi sit up so she could use the arm of the couch to help her set the broken bones in his forearm. He grimaced at the harsh feeling as she forced the bones into place with chakra and began meshing the cells back together.

After thirty minutes or so, she knelt back onto her heels from her spot on the floor, and gave him a smile, tentative smile.

"All done," she said quietly.

Kakashi wordlessly tested his arm, twisting it around, clenching and unclenching his fist. When he was satisfied, he extended his hand to her in a silent invitation. She accepted it, and after some effort to stand, perched herself sideways onto his lap, stretching her legs out onto the length if the couch and leaning into his chest.

"I'm sorry," he said simply as he kissed the top of her head. "Did you read it?"

"Yes."

"Are you still upset with me?"

She shrugged noncommittally. Truthfully, she was still a little peeved.

"A little, I guess. I know I lashed out at you, and for that I'm sorry. But I just can't understand why you hid this from me. It made me feel like a child again—like you didn't think about me as an equal."

"I'll tell you everything from now on, I promise. You've been my equal for a long time, Sakura."

She nodded in response before beginning to question Kakashi further.

"So…who is your source?" she asked with genuine curiosity.

"ANBU. I've kept in touch with a few guys who are willing to do me favors. They pass me info on Sasuke when they hear about him on missions."

"It seems he's been cropping up more frequently lately."

"Yes. It's a little worrisome. I'm concerned that he may be planning something."

"That's why you've been so on edge lately," Sakura concluded. "What do you think he's planning?"

Kakashi looked thoughtfully at the ceiling for a few moments before responding.

"I'm not sure."

At his hesitance, Sakura's interest was piqued.

"But you have an idea, don't you."

He sighed heavily.

"The only thing I can think of that he could want…is you, Sakura."

"Or the baby," she added quietly. She had been worried that Kakashi would suspect as much.

"Yes."

"But he can't reach us here in Konoha, right? He can't get past the barrier."

"That's true. But Sasuke has always been…resourceful. I've been trying to analyze his movements, see if he's been any place that could give us a clue as to what he's been up to lately. But all I can surmise is that he's not afraid of venturing into Fire Country. He's not quite within striking distance of Konoha, though, so Tsunade hasn't let me go after him."

At that Sakura sat up straight and looked Kakashi in the eye with a hardened glare.

"Tsunade knows? And you want to _go after him?_ Are you crazy?" she hissed.

"Of course Tsunade knows. It'd be treason if I wasn't passing along information to her."

"Answer my question. Are you _insane?"_

"If he poses a threat to you, I will end him, Sakura. You know this."

"Kakashi—I'm safe here. He wouldn't dare come back—"

"We don't know that. You read the reports—he's killing people left and right, not caring that he's leaving behind a trail. He's unstable, and unpredictable, Sakura."

"That doesn't mean you have to go after him. I thought you and Tsunade had agreed that would be too dangerous?"

"That was a few months ago, before the bodies started piling up. The other Kage and the foreign Daimyo are going to start putting pressure on us soon. We may not have a choice. But Tsunade doesn't want to risk it until our hand is forced."

Sakura nodded and paused to digest all of this new information. If Kakashi was sent with a party of hunter-nin after Sasuke, it would be a classified as an S-rank mission. ANBU would be involved, and probably Naruto, too. It was likely that Sasuke would take out at least one of the Konoha ninja in the fight. Sakura wouldn't let herself consider the possibility of that happening, and so purposefully stirred herself from her thoughts.

"I hope it doesn't come to that, Kakashi."

"Me either."

Sakura was exhausted from such a heavy conversation, and Kakashi was exhausted from his mission. They let the conversation die out, and settled in to simply enjoy each other's company for the rest of the evening.

* * *

Kakashi enjoyed another break free of missions upon his return from the Suna border. He spent his days training with Naruto and Sai, per his usual routine, and was happy that everything concerning Sasuke was now out in the open with Sakura. She had of course taken all of his theories with aplomb, even though she openly opposed his plan to go after Sasuke if the opportunity presented itself.

Except that after a flurry of activity during the few weeks before Kakashi had gone to Suna, Sasuke was now suddenly quiet. He had most recently been spotted a few days before Kakashi's departure in a northern territory, so Kakashi didn't have reason to believe there was an immediate danger. It was, however, a bit unsettling.

Years ago, Sasuke had been in and out of Konoha's intel as well, and there had been periods then, too, that they didn't know his location. Sasuke was predictably unpredictable, and so this sudden disappearance didn't necessarily indicate anything other than perhaps the whim to lie low had struck him. Or perhaps that he'd finally been taken out by a skilled bounty hunter.

_Wouldn't that make my life easier._

So when Sasuke was spotted on the outskirts of Rain Country at the end of March, Kakashi experienced a strange mix of relief and disappointment. Relief just to know where the little bastard was at the moment, and disappointment that he wasn't dead.

Sasuke's interlude had quieted the grumblings of the other Daimyo for a time, and but Kakashi knew they would start up again quickly if Sasuke continued to make trouble. But for now, he tried to content himself with village life.

He'd been taking short missions recently, only gone for a day or two at a time, and was admittedly happier to be home with Sakura than anything else. She was six weeks away from her due date, and her belly had expanded rapidly as of late.

So had her anxiety.

"Kakashi," she started one morning at breakfast, completely overwhelmed. "I don't know how to take care of a _baby_—what are we _doing?"_

He knew he needed to cut this off before it turned into a full-blown meltdown.

"You know it wasn't that long ago you told me that all I had to do was not drop him."

Sakura did nothing but look at him with pure panic etched on her face. Okay, humor wasn't the right tactic this morning. Instead, he took both her hands in his and spoke soothing words to her.

"We'll be fine, Sakura. Exhausted, yes, but it will be okay. I think you also told me once that babies have pretty simple needs, right?"

"That's true. But you're going to be gone all the time and I'll be all alone!"

"No you won't, I promise," he assured her with a warm smile and a crinkle of his eye. "I already spoke to Tsunade and arranged for leave after the baby is born. I won't be going anywhere for at least a month."

"But that doesn't do us any good! That means neither of us will be working! How are we going to pay the bills?"

"I've got plenty saved, Sakura, you know that. We're fine."

"I'm still really nervous."

"Of course you are. I am too, a little. But we'll learn together. People have been having babies for thousands of years; I'm sure two elite ninja can figure it out."

Kakashi knew she wouldn't be able to resist smiling at his compliment.

* * *

As the days passed by, Sakura finally had to start cutting back on her hours at the hospital. Her feet were swelling and her back ached to the point where being on her feet for ten hours a day was unbearable. To fill the time, she began making a map of Sasuke's sightings in the last six or so months since he had left Konoha for the second time.

She realized that the information Kakashi was gathering could be valuable, although Sakura still disagreed on his stance that they should move proactively against Sasuke. Part of her hoped her little creative project would not yield any more answers, but she had always been one that liked to be thorough in her research nonetheless.

Honestly, why had Kakashi not done this sooner? Didn't he say he'd been studying this little book looking for patterns?

She sat down at the kitchen table with an annoyed huff, and thumbed through the pages until she found the date on which Sasuke had fled, leaving Sakura behind.

_Good riddance._

Methodically she made her way through the pages, marking dots with red ink on the map she had procured from Tsunade's office. The woman had a dozen or more of them stashed in her desk, and wouldn't miss this one.

Again, Sakura found no semblance of a pattern in Sasuke's movements. He traveled in all directions and didn't seem to even move in a logical path; rather his trail looked more like a ping-pong ball being bounced around the various countries north of Fire.

However she did pause when two of her dots landed quite close to each other, within the boundaries of Fire Country in the northeastern quadrant. She became suspicious when a third dot landed in the same vicinity, and she knew she was onto something when a fourth dot joined them.

"Kakashi!" she called eagerly into the other room, "Come look at this!"

A moment later he ambled into the kitchen, _Icha Icha_ dangling from one hand and a finger still left in between two pages, marking his place. Sakura saw his visible eye widen as he took in her map, and soon the orange-jacketed novel was forgotten on the table, replaced by the black leather notebook in Kakashi's hands.

"How did I miss this…?" he reproached to himself.

Sakura helped him locate the entries in the notebook that corresponded to the cluster of dots on the map.

"I see," he said gravely, "The intel from ANBU was given using different cardinal directions each time…North, South, East, West of different markers…and each incident was about six weeks apart…when I was just studying the locations I didn't place them so close together in my head…"

Kakashi trailed off as he continued to study the map with a serious expression on his face.

"What are you thinking, Kakashi?"

He let out a long sigh before responding.

"I think we have our lead. He must be forming a base in that area."

Kakashi paused meaningfully, causing Sakura to meet his gaze.

"We have to strike, Sakura. The timeline points to the probability of another appearance in two weeks."

"But—no—the baby—that's only three weeks before he's due!"

"We don't have much of a choice. Sasuke's been active again the last couple of weeks, and Tsunade is starting to be pressured to take care of him. If we have an opportunity to put a stop to this rampage, we have to take it."

Deflated, Sakura nodded mutely. She knew Kakashi was right. She had spent enough time as Tsunade's apprentice to know how the political game was played, how delicate relationships with other Kage could be, and how easily they could be broken. In order to prevent a conflict from arising, Sasuke needed to be dealt with.

"Promise me you'll be back before the baby's born," she demanded quietly. They both knew her real request. _Promise me you'll come back._

"I promise, Sakura."

He kissed her sweetly before gathering up both the map and the notebook. A minute later he was out the door and leaping over the rooftops, heading to the Hokage's office.

* * *

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

.

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 7

* * *

With Tsunade's blessing, Kakashi had recruited Naruto and three ANBU he trusted to his squad: Tenzou, Nara Shikamaru, and Hyuuga Neji. He had wanted to take Sai for his long-range scouting abilities, but unfortunately the artist was already out on a month-long assignment and the Hyuuga would have to do instead. That circumstance aside, the plan was reasonably simple.

Based on Kakashi's notes, they estimated that Sasuke would be returning to the area of his alleged base the last week of April. Unless they received a report sooner, they would be leaving on the twenty-fourth of the month to recon a five kilometer-square area for the better part of a week. If they encountered Sasuke at any point in time, he was to be eliminated. It would take them roughly twenty-four hours to reach their destination, so they had to be ready at a moment's notice or risk missing their target should he appear ahead of schedule. As such, the five elite shinobi were placed on standby in the village until it was time to leave.

Which was, predictably, terrible for Sakura. Not only was Kakashi on edge as the date drew closer, but Naruto had taken to spending his days at their place as well.

"Don't you guys do anything fun around here?" Naruto whined one afternoon as he flipped through the channels on the TV too fast to even register what was on the screen.

Kakashi and Sakura both looked up from their books to glare at the blonde ninja incredulously. They were getting ready to leave any day now on a dangerous mission to find and kill the fourth member of their old team, and Naruto was acting like a petulant child? Kakashi's temper was already short, and he snapped first.

"No. Go home, Naruto."

"But Sakura said I could stay! Tsunade-baa-chan's been running me ragged and I haven't seen her in ages!"

"Naruto," Sakura begged quietly, "Now's not a good time to argue. Please. Aren't you at all upset over this whole mess?"

Naruto's face fell, and his demeanor changed instantly. It seemed Sakura had hit the nail on its head.

"Yeah. I am."

Sakura put her book down and went to go sit next to Naruto on the couch, while Kakashi also lowered his novel in interest. It struck him then that perhaps Naruto just wanted to feel some semblance of their old normalcy from long ago—the members of Team Seven hanging out. Just like old times, when things were simpler. Even when Sasuke had abandoned them the first time, they had held hope that they would be able to return him to Konoha and resume their old lives. And they had, for a while. But Sasuke could not be subdued by mundane village life, it seemed, and they were now faced with a much darker future concerning their old teammate. Kakashi listened as Sakura convinced Naruto to speak about his feelings. She always was good at that.

"I get it, I really do. He's a threat to all of us—especially you, Sakura—but I just hate that it has to end this way."

"Me too," she agreed quietly. "I keep thinking, wondering, if there was something we could have done differently. Maybe…if…things hadn't gotten so out of hand when he…"

Sakura's hands moved unconsciously to her stomach and her voice was strained. Alarmed, Kakashi started to move to comfort her, but Naruto beat him to it.

"No, Sakura," Naruto asserted with conviction. "Sasuke made bad choices. He hurt you, in your own home. On top of every other sordid thing he's done in the last seven years. That's why it has to be this way. Sasuke is not our friend any more."

Kakashi was impressed with Naruto's maturity in that moment, that he was sure about their chosen course of action regarding his former friend and rival, and his view on the situation was simple. Naruto was stubborn and not easily swayed from his convictions. Once he set his mind to something, he wouldn't hesitate to make it happen.

Sasuke may be a match for the individual ninjas coming for him, or even a pair of them, but he couldn't hope to survive an attack from all five. Kakashi hoped this meant they would all make it back without incident, though he knew Sakura was worried. For now, though, the three of them would take comfort in each other as they always had.

* * *

Sakura was enjoying one of her last early mornings in bed with Kakashi before he would leave in two days. She was in that blissful state between sleep and wakefulness, in which time didn't exist and all that mattered was the warm arm draped over her waist and the heat from Kakashi's chest against her back. She wished they could stay right there forever.

When there was a sharp knock on the front door of the apartment, Sakura squeezed her eyes tightly against the noise, against reality. _No, not yet! It's too soon!_ Her mind cried. But Kakashi was already moving out of bed to answer the summons. They both knew what it meant.

Sasuke had been sighted.

Sakura followed a few seconds after Kakashi, moving slower. When she made it out to the living room where Naruto had been roused from the couch, Tenzou stood in the middle of the room as well. He nodded a greeting to her.

"When?" Was all that Kakashi asked in Tenzou's direction.

"About six hours ago according to the message on the hawk from the outpost. He was spotted about ten kilometers south of our target area, heading in that direction."

"So he's already there. Let's hope he decides to stay for a few days. Have Nara and Hyuuga been notified?"

"Not yet. I came here first."

"Go now. We leave in thirty minutes."

Tenzou nodded again, and made a quick exit.

There was a loud yawn from Naruto, who then slapped himself lightly on the cheeks.

"Guess it's go-time," Naruto resigned, "See you at the gates, Kakashi."

Before leaving, Naruto gave Sakura a tight hug and a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Don't worry Sakura, we can take Sasuke."

"I know, Naruto, but be careful," she replied with her own small smile.

Then finally she was alone with Kakashi. Wordlessly he went back to the bedroom to get dressed, and Sakura followed. His bag was already packed, but he threw on clean pants and a shirt with mask attached, followed by his flak jacket and gloves. With practiced efficiency he wrapped the ankles of his pants and tucked them into his boots before finally acknowledging Sakura. She spoke first, however.

"I'm afraid for you."

"Don't be," Kakashi responded with seriousness. "It's not a pleasant mission, but I'm confident in our team. It will be five on one, and we're going in armed to the teeth."

She pleaded with him using her eyes before speaking.

"Please be careful Kakashi…"

"I will, Sakura. I will fight my way back home if I have to, for you and for Obito."

Sakura was drawn tightly into Kakashi's embrace, and he kissed her deeply.

"I love you, Sakura."

"I love you too."

The moments that followed were agony as he slowly peeled himself away from her. Time seemed simultaneously to move too quickly and too slowly as she watched him gather his pack and weapons and head for the door. He turned once more and gave her a brilliant smile before the door closed behind him, and Sakura was left alone in the apartment.

* * *

It was both a blessing and a curse for Sakura that she was scheduled for the second shift at the hospital that day. On the bright side, it meant that she had something to distract her from the fact that Kakashi and Naruto were heading towards a dangerous fight, along with three other men she considered good friends. However, it also meant that her thoughts were scattered and unfocused, which made for a terrible shift at work.

So when Sakura was finally making her way home at midnight, she was physically and mentally exhausted. At least she had three whole days off of work now. Which could also be good or bad, depending on your perspective.

Just wanting to be home as quickly as possible, Sakura took a short cut through an alley. In moments she felt the skin on the back of her neck prickle as she made her way between the two tall buildings, but wasn't concerned. She may be pregnant, but she was a ninja after all. Any fellow shinobi in Konoha would never harm her, and any thug with malicious intent could be easily incapacitated. No, she had no one to fear in this place.

"Sakura."

Unless that person was Sasuke.

Momentarily she froze. _How was he in Konoha…?_ He had just been spotted moving away from Konoha less than twenty-four hours ago! And the barrier…_how did he get past the barrier?_

She tried to move quickly. Thugs she could handle. Sasuke she could not, especially while heavily pregnant. But before she could run more than a few steps he was almost to her. She could not out-run him; her only option was to stand her ground. She refused to let him scare her into a blind panic this time; she would fight Sasuke as hard as she could.

Sakura dodged Sasuke's first grab at her left arm, and whirled around to face him with a chakra-charged fist. But Sasuke's Sharingan eyes glowed in the darkness, and he blocked her blows easily.

Within a matter of seconds he had her in an uncomfortable hold with one hand, and the other clamped tightly over her mouth. Her pregnancy was truly limiting her now; if it weren't for her large stomach and her hesitancy to take a risk, she would have easily been able to twist her body in such a way to break his hold. She went still, breathing hard but refusing to look at him even as he attempted to nudge her face in his direction.

"Sakura, my blossom," he purred as he forced her head to one side and nuzzled her neck.

She squeezed her eyes shut. _Kakashi. Help. Please._

"I made a mistake, Sakura. You dropped this little bomb on me and I reacted poorly. If I had kept my head I could have saved us both a lot of trouble."

What was he talking about? The baby?

_Oh no. _

Her face paled and she began to struggle again. He wanted the baby—to kill him or to take him away from Konoha, she wasn't sure, but she was beginning to panic again. _She had to get away!_

"None of that," Sasuke ordered in a bored tone.

The next thing she felt was a blow to the back of her head and her vision disappeared.

* * *

It was approaching noon as the five Konoha shinobi silently staked out Sasuke as he sat idly at the mouth of a small cave, apparently meditating. They had just arrived that morning at the vicinity that they were to recon, and had already stumbled upon their target.

It was too good to be true.

"I don't like this," Kakashi whispered to the group. "Seems too easy."

The lack of rebuttal from his team seemed to indicate their agreement.

"There could be traps," Shikamaru pointed out.

"No, everything looks clean. I'm not seeing any unusual chakra residue or indications of physical traps with my Byakugan."

"Could he have back up?" Tenzou wondered.

"Doubtful," Kakashi replied. "He's always been a loner, especially with Orochimaru gone."

"Well, it doesn't look like he's going anywhere soon…only one way to find out!"

That statement, of course, came from Naruto. Without even taking his eyes off of Sasuke, Kakashi grabbed the back of Naruto's shirt collar just has he began to spring forward, tugging the blonde ninja back roughly.

"Not so fast, Naruto. Shikamaru?"

"Already on it."

As they watched, Shikamaru's shadow was stretching an arm out slowly in the direction of Sasuke's seated form. The five held their breath as the shadow made a wide circle to approach the cave from one side, allowing it to come up behind Sasuke.

This was really going to work…

Until suddenly Sasuke bolted into the air, the shadow a mere foot from where he had been sitting.

"Dammit!" was the shout that came from Naruto, the only sound besides the rustling of leaves as the shinobi leapt into the air to chase down their target.

Sasuke was moving as fast as he could, using an erratic zigzag to best avoid their attacks. Kakashi and Naruto were the only two that could realistically keep up with him, though the others stayed close behind. Unfortunately they were also the two best suited for long-range combat, as Sasuke was easily able to dodge the creeping jutsu used by Tenzou and Shikamaru. Neji's skills were of course best used at close range.

They pursued Sasuke for two hours, but hadn't yet managed to land a single attack with a jutsu or weapon. Sasuke had only used a few defensive jutsu to delay their chase, but had not stopped to confront them as Kakashi would have thought.

"He's leading us in circles!" Neji yelled suddenly, "He doesn't seem to be going anywhere."

"He can't run forever!" was Naruto's irritated retort.

"Maybe he's not trying to lead us…maybe he just wants us to chase him," Shikamaru riddled.

Kakashi pondered this for a few seconds. Could this just be a wild goose chase?

"What's his motive?"

"Could be that he wants the focus on him. Maybe he has another plan up his sleeve and wants us distracted?"

"We don't have any other intel; there's no way of knowing if something else is going on. Our objective remains unchanged. We have to get him," Kakashi ordered.

"Leave it to me," said Naruto darkly. He bounded ahead of even Kakashi, the Nine Tail's cloak enveloping him and enhancing his speed that much more.

Within a few more minutes Naruto had caught up to Sasuke and forced a confrontation. It was at this point that Naruto managed to finally land an attack—and Sasuke promptly disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Fuck!" This time it was Kakashi who cursed. "Spread out and find the real one, quickly!"

His blood boiled as he thought about the time they had wasted chasing the shadow clone. Clearly Sasuke was up to something, and he'd been prepared for their arrival.

They searched for several hours, and came up with nothing. There was no other trace of Sasuke anywhere. Even his camp seemed empty, considering he was supposed to have been there for a day or two already before their arrival. There was no evidence of a fire, bedroll, or any supplies to be seen. It was as if he had never been in the area at all.

As it approached nightfall the five of them converged at the same spot from which they had started their chase earlier in the day.

"Something isn't right," Kakashi reiterated. "What do we know?"

Shikamaru rattled off the facts quickly, counting them off on his fingers.

"Sasuke was spotted ten kilometers south of here almost 48 hours ago, heading in this direction. There was no conflict, only the report from a reliable ANBU informant. We assumed Sasuke was using this area as a base of sorts, but cursory recon does not give any evidence to support that theory. The only thing we have encountered so far was a powerful shadow clone who led us on a wild goose chase before disappearing. If it was a diversionary tactic, which it seems to have been, we don't know what his real plan is. We can surmise that our initial assumption was incorrect and this area is of no importance to Sasuke."

"But if this area's not important then why was his clone waiting here for us?" Naruto countered.

"He wanted us to come here to distract us from something. But what?" Shikamaru mused.

An instant later the blood drained from Kakashi's face.

"He's going after Sakura! We're going back to Konoha, _now!"_

This was a planned attack. Kakashi had played right into Sasuke's hands and now Sakura and his son were in danger.

_His son._ Not Sasuke's. The traitor didn't deserve either of them.

* * *

Sakura was jostled awake by the movement of being carried swiftly in strong arms, but the headache that accompanied her consciousness reminded her of her current predicament. Fury engulfed her.

How dare he kidnap her! How dare he presume he had any sort of ownership over her or her son!

"Don't struggle or I'll have to knock you out again," Sasuke drawled.

"You fucking idiot! You're going to hurt the baby!"

She knew him well enough that she could almost _feel_ the roll of his eyes without seeing it.

"I'm not going to do anything to hurt him. I need him, and you. I need to you in order to rebuild my clan."

She should have known that's what this was about.

"It's too late for that, Sasuke! Things can't be like before, just let me go!"

His grip tightened on her almost painfully.

"Imagine how I felt, Sakura," he began menacingly, "When I found out that not only did the mother of my child shack up with _Kakashi,_ but that he was planning to raise _my_ son."

"_You have no son."_

That earned her a hard slap to the mouth. Her cheek stung painfully and she tasted blood. Screwing up her courage to continue to defy Sasuke, she spat in his face.

Suddenly Sakura was forced against the trunk of a large tree as Sasuke quickly halted their movement and wrapped his hand around her neck.

She summoned chakra to her hands to pry away his fingers, but as soon as she had loosened his grip, he recovered his strength and over-powered hers. She couldn't throw him off, so she settled for kicking out with chakra-charged feet to force him to keep her at arms length.

"I told you not to struggle. You may have been whoring yourself out for the last few months, but you're _mine,_ Sakura. That bastard child is my heir, and you've ruined my chances at restoring the Uchiha to Konoha. You're coming with me."

"I am a kunoichi of Konoha, and I don't belong to anyone! Least of all you!"

Her words were strong, but she could feel the panic begin to rise.

_Don't cry. Be strong. Kakashi, where are you?_

Sasuke groped her breast roughly, and then smoothed his palm over her stomach. Somehow that was worse than the groping, and Sakura turned her face away from him as much as she could.

"Your body begs to differ on that fact, Sakura," he replied smugly. "Unfortunately we don't have time for this little chat now. Do I have to knock you out again?"

Realizing the futility of her struggle, Sakura went limp in his hold. She needed to use her head now, not her strength, to get her out of this mess. Kakashi and his team were headed north—to find the very man who now held her captive. _What was going on?_

Silently she allowed Sasuke to pick her up again, and instead she began observing.

They were headed south—the opposite direction from which Kakashi had been headed. Come to think of it, what day was it? It was light now, early morning judging by the light from the sun filtering through the trees. Kakashi and his team must be arriving at their location about now; how long would it take them to discover Sasuke's deception?

She couldn't help it. She had to know what he had done, and hope that he would tell her. Putting as much defeat into her quiet words as she could muster, she braced for his reaction.

"How did you do it? How did you deceive Kakashi?"

Luckily for Sakura, Sasuke's arrogance won out over his desire to keep his secrets from her. She saw a smirk form on his proud face.

"Shadow-clone."

_What…?_ From this distance?

"I don't understand—it was hundreds of kilometers from Konoha—from you!"

"Did you really think I had spent all that time with Orochimaru and not picked up some of his best tricks?"

"And the barrier—how did you get past it?" The panic in her voice was starting to show. Just how powerful was he?

"That's even more impressive, Sakura. I know the teleportation jutsu."

She was almost stunned into silence.

"But…that's impossible…it's just a myth…not even the Fourth Hokage knew that jutsu…"

Chancing another glance into his face, Sakura could tell that she was only feeding his ego. _Shut up,_ she scolded herself.

"That's also why they aren't going to find us, Sakura."

His voice was evil. _He_ was evil.

"You teleported us away from Konoha…" Horror enveloped her now. There wasn't a trail leading away from Konoha. How would they find her once they discovered she was gone? But…

"We're running now—why?"

He bristled slightly at that question. She had found a weakness.

"Takes too much chakra, but that's besides the point. Kakashi's not coming for you. You're mine."

Her panic was giving way to an overwhelming feeling of hopelessness, and she went silent. Kakashi had been sent away from Konoha to distract him, so that Sasuke could get to Sakura. She wasn't even scheduled at the hospital for three more days; when would someone discover her absence?

Sasuke had said he wouldn't hurt the baby—he wanted the baby. But there were still many ways he could hurt _her_. For her own safety, she needed to avoid making him angry at all costs. She needed time. Time would maybe help her form a plan to escape, or allow Kakashi to find her.

Oh how desperately she wanted Kakashi to find her quickly. He had to eventually, right? He was the best ninja in Konoha—maybe the best the village had ever seen. He would come for her, wouldn't he? Kakashi loved her. He would fight for her. He would come. He would find her. She had to believe that.

That became Sakura's mantra as Sasuke's swift feet carried them to the southern coast of Fire Country and alighted the sea. After an hour of running over the surface of the water, they approached an island and he didn't stop running until they were deep inside the jungle.

It was like being in a natural labyrinth. The jungle undergrowth was thicker, denser, and taller than the forests surrounding Konoha. The huge plants were menacing and the heat oppressive. No wind reached this far into the trees.

It was here that Sasuke had apparently been hiding.

He brought her to the doorstep of a tiny, one room cottage—if it could even be called that. It was built of rough stone with a heavily thatched roof. At least there appeared to be a fireplace of some sort for cooking, and the floor was made of stone as well. But Sakura inwardly smirked that Sasuke was living in such a decrepit little building. Oh, how he had fallen.

Her tiny victory over Sasuke's living situation was short lived, as she received a rough shove into the building. Inside was a small bed crammed into one corner, and a refrigerator beside the stove and a sink in another. In the middle of the room sat a small table, but there were no other furnishings. It was a small relief to see that there was at least a bathroom squeezed into a third corner—she could see a toilet and shower though the open door.

This would be where she stayed too, until she could find a way out of this mess.

Sakura stood just inside the doorway as she took in her new surroundings, stiff from being cramped while Sasuke had carried her. She estimated that it was about noon, and her stomach growled audibly.

Sasuke gave her an annoyed glance before going to the fridge and extracting two large pieces of tropical fruit. He sat heavily into one of the two chairs at the table before looking at her again.

"Eat," he ordered, gesturing to the fruit now resting on the tabletop.

Hesitantly, she sat down across from him and tried to eat slowly, but her hunger quickly won out and she devoured the delicious piece of citrus.

Sakura avoided looking at Sasuke, opting instead to study the rough wood grain of the tabletop. What would happen now? Would he tie her up? Lock her in a room or a cellar?

Suddenly his arm reached out towards her, and Sakura flinched, but he merely grabbed the med pack from her waist. Right, she had been on her way home from the hospital, where even while working she carried her pack. It mostly contained gauze and bandages and some antiseptic, but there was one small vial of clear liquid hidden in a secret compartment that she hoped he wouldn't find.

To her surprised relief, Sasuke rummaged through the pack and miraculously handed it back to her. He wasn't going to look any closer than that, or even dump out the bag onto the table? Or confiscate it altogether? For once, his underestimation of Sakura's skills did not make her angry, and instead she was thankful for his low opinion of her for perhaps the only time in her life.

"Go take a shower and change your clothes."

Another order. Wordlessly she nodded and made her way to the bathroom. She found a towel and two yukata waiting for her there, one gray and one navy blue. Typical of Sasuke to be so practical and so _bland._

After showering and dressing in the blue yukata, Sakura hesitantly emerged from the bathroom to find Sasuke still sitting at the kitchen table. Not knowing what else to do, she sat down across from him once more.

They were silent for several minutes, and Sakura could feel his cold eyes on her the entire time. She pretended to be interested in the rest of the sparse room, looking anywhere but at the man across the table. Finally Sasuke spoke in a hard voice, and Sakura habitually met his gaze when she heard him speak.

"You will not leave this house unless you are with me. You cannot hope to outrun me or overpower me. I have chakra cuffs, but they are quite painful to wear. I will not hesitate to put them on you if you try to escape."

He evidently thought he was being merciful by merely imprisoning her here, and not using chakra-inhibitors on her. She had no doubt that he would make good on his threat, and knew from Kakashi that the cuffs could indeed be very painful, as they drained your chakra to the point of exhaustion if left on for a duration of time. She could not afford to try and call a bluff on that threat, so after a moment she nodded her consent to Sasuke's terms.

"I will bring home food, you will cook it. You will sleep in the bed with me and you will obey when I tell you to do something. As long as you do that, you have nothing to fear from me."

There was an evil smirk on his face, and Sakura read between the lines of his statement. She remembered what it was like when he was angry with her.

So they were playing house? That was his game here? She was supposed to be his devoted and obedient wife and bear his child?

She felt like she was going to be sick. She almost would have rather he said he was going to bind her wrists and throw her in a cellar because at least then she would not have to be in the same room with him and submit to his sick fantasy. For the thousandth time, she felt a pang in her heart that ached for Kakashi.

She didn't know if she had any hope of getting out of this mess without Kakashi. The baby would be born in three weeks or less. While pregnant, her movements and her ability to fight were severely limited. But even after the baby was born she would need days or a few weeks to heal before she could hope to even approach her old fighting strength. And then, she would have the baby to protect too, a much easier bargaining chip for Sasuke to get his hands on once he was born.

Weighing her situation, it seemed she was very limited on time. It would be to her advantage to get out of here before she would give birth. That needed to happen in the Konoha hospital anyway. Where there were medic nins and painkillers and clean sterile rooms. She didn't want to give birth alone in this hut, with no one but Sasuke to help her. Her stomach turned again at the possibility of that reality.

"I'm going to lay down," she said quietly to Sasuke. He didn't protest to this, and she was grateful.

Instead, he sat down on the floor and appeared to be meditating. Sakura raised an eyebrow at this from her prone position on the bedroll, before masking the expression quickly when she realized he probably wouldn't be happy with her if he saw that. Weren't people who meditated supposed to be at peace with themselves? Sasuke wasn't at peace with any one or any thing, including himself. To Sakura, this contradiction was further proof of his unhinged state of mind.

It was soon after that when Sasuke cursed heavily from his position on the floor.

"Fucking hell!"

Did she dare ask?

But before she could even contemplate whether or not she should ask what caused his outburst, the curious expression on her face gave her away. Sasuke sprung to his feet and rounded on her. She flinched away automatically and hated herself for having such a fearful reaction to him. Fortunately though, the hit never came.

"Don't you fucking think this changes anything..." He was muttering as he paced the floor. Sakura wasn't sure if this was directed at her or himself.

"...Still won't find us..." She heard. Suddenly it dawned on her.

"Your clone was dispelled, wasn't it?"

She couldn't help the words or the excitement in her voice, and this time he did slap her hard across the cheek. That was the second time in less than twenty-four hours. She needed to learn to control her mouth if she was going to avoid this pain.

_That bastard, that's exactly what he's trying to do—condition you to keep your mouth shut!_

Sakura silently fumed in frustration, not sure how she should react to anything around Sasuke anymore. But there was a sliver of hope if he had not anticipated his clone being dispelled so quickly. He had underestimated Kakashi after all.

She slept lightly until Sasuke roused her roughly to cook dinner. Rice and chicken, just like she remembered. She was tasked with the dishes, too, and completed her chores silently like the obedient housewife Sasuke wanted her to be. She had no choice but to play his game for now, at least until she learned their routine and formed a plan. Or Kakashi found her. She refused to give up that hope.

Eventually Sasuke declared that it was time for bed. Sakura was horrified when he demanded that she strip and sleep nude with him, but decided that it wasn't worth his wrath to protest. They had slept like this often back in Konoha and clearly he was trying to replicate that life here on this godforsaken island. She could hope that perhaps he wouldn't force himself on her in these first few days. It would come to that eventually, she was sure, but she hoped to make an escape before then.

Sleep eluded her. She had napped that afternoon, but still felt exhausted. She was in danger in a strange place and the body behind her felt wrong in every way. The heat behind her back felt oppressive and stifling instead of safe and comforting. The arm around her waist was possessive instead of protective.

Finally, she let herself cry.

It was hopeless, wasn't it? Sasuke's shadow clone may have been discovered, but Kakashi's team would assume he was still in the vicinity. They would never even consider that he was powerful enough to maintain a clone from such a great distance. It could be days before they came back to Konoha and discovered her missing, and days or weeks before they found her here.

She was on her own.

* * *

TBC

One more chapter coming this weekend, then this story will be finished. Thanks so much for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

.

The Tenacity of Her Heart

Chapter 8

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Sakura discovered that their routine was relatively simple. They rose with the sun, Sakura cooked breakfast (tea, rice, and maybe eggs if they had any), and Sakura cleaned up. Sasuke left to go hunt or barter with the whatever locals there may be before the heat of the day settled in, each morning leaving Sakura with the threat of real bodily harm should she be gone when he returned. She had no reason to think he wouldn't make good on that threat. She had also seen no indication that anyone else was on this particular island, and suspected that Sasuke may be running off to another island altogether on these errands. There were at least a hundred of them, after all.

When Sasuke returned they would share a mid-day meal of fruit, and then Sasuke would spend the afternoon meditating. With nothing else to do Sakura usually dozed on the futon. She was going to go crazy if she spent an extended amount of time here doing nothing but waiting.

Waiting for Sasuke to snap. Waiting for Kakashi to come. Waiting for her own courage to wind itself up to do something about it herself.

On her second night, Sakura had refused to let herself wallow in self-pity again. Instead she used that time to come up with a shaky plan. There was that vial of clear liquid that Sasuke had not found hidden in her medical pouch. It was an expensive poison, normally used to coat the tips of senbon, but Sakura hadn't carried those since she had been taken off the active-duty roster.

When used with senbon, the poison would enter immediately into the bloodstream as soon as the metal pierced the skin. But if administered orally, the poison would be slower to enter the bloodstream. Of course that also meant that the victim's death would be, ah, less immediate as well.

She could poison Sasuke.

The poison was odorless, that she knew for sure. But she had never actually heard of it being administered orally, only using her own medical knowledge to assume that in theory it would have the same eventual effect. She did not know if it was tasteless, which could be a flaw with this plan.

To counter-act the potential taste, Sakura convinced Sasuke to barter for some spices to add to their rice. She couldn't believe he had been so easily convinced, but she was not going to question it.

Now it was her fourth day of imprisonment, she had the poison, and she had some spices, but she had not found the courage to act.

As Sakura laid awake in bed on that fourth night, trying to ignore Sasuke's breathing on her neck, she forced herself to think this through and come to a decision.

Her hesitation stemmed from the small part of her that refused to let go of her past. Even after everything he had done to her, Sakura had held a tiny, private hope over the last six months that Sasuke would answer for his crimes not with death, but with a life confined to a Konoha prison cell. She took no joy or satisfaction in knowing he would be punished, regardless of how it was done, but knew that was his grim fate. Rather, she had secretly hoped that someday, when he was old enough, her son would meet the man who had given him life. Her son deserved to know his roots, even if they were buried in hate and terror. He deserved to know where he had come from, and why it was so important that he follow the path of the man who would be his father in practice—Kakashi's path.

But that future was already gone. Kakashi would kill Sasuke, had been planning for weeks or months to kill Sasuke. Now, after kidnapping Sakura, Sasuke had signed his death warrant.

It was not so hard for Sakura to come to grips with Sasuke's imminent demise at the hands of Kakashi, or Naruto, or anyone else. Sasuke had proven over and over again that he was dangerous and evil. But it was an entirely different matter for Sakura to accept if he were to die by her own hand. Years ago, she had resolved in a fit of poor decision-making to kill him herself. But her foolish plan failed miserably and forced her to accept her that she could not kill Sasuke on her own.

Except, now the opportunity seemed to have presented itself for that very circumstance, and Sakura didn't know if she could go through with it.

_You're being foolish again,_ she warned herself. _You need to get out of here, for Obito's safety and yours. _

She went through her facts again.

She needed to get back to Konoha before the baby was born.

Kakashi loved her, and would search for her until he found her, but she did not know when that would be.

Kakashi may not be able to find her before the baby was born.

She was on her own.

She could not hope to escape on her own while Sasuke lived.

She had the means to kill Sasuke.

_She had to be the one to kill Sasuke._

There it was, in black and white. She had to kill Sasuke or she may have to give birth in this hellish place, something she needed to avoid at all costs.

But still her courage hid from her. After much agonizing, she made a compromise with herself. If Kakashi had not come for her by this time tomorrow, she would poison Sasuke the following morning. That would be the start of her sixth day in Sasuke's captivity, and about two weeks before the baby would be born. She wouldn't be able to wait any longer.

Sasuke's underestimation of Sakura's abilities caused him to overlook that she had such a powerful weapon in her possession, and now his own hubris would be his end.

* * *

The next day came and went, and the next night, too. Kakashi had not come for her yet. Sakura woke on the sixth morning with a grim resolve. Today was the day. She would act this morning, true to her promise.

At first light, Sakura rose from the bedroll quietly and made her way to the bathroom, knowing Sasuke would be awake soon as well. She showered and dressed, as was her normal routine, but this time she also spirited away the small vial from her med pouch up her sleeve.

Sasuke was awake when she emerged from the bathroom, and he silently traded places with her while she went to start breakfast. She would have liked to put the poison in Sasuke's tea, as it would be more efficiently administered via another liquid, but he would have noticed if it tasted different and she couldn't take that chance. Instead, she mixed it into Sasuke's rice with the spices, hoping that the new flavors would mask any taste of the poison.

She was barely able to eat her own breakfast as she watched Sasuke devour his.

As she was cleaning up, she suddenly realized that Sasuke was not on his way out the door like he usually was. Wasn't he leaving?

Hesitantly, she ventured to start a rare conversation with Sasuke as she stood over the sink, her hands submerged in the soapy water.

"Are you going out this morning?"

He grunted in reply.

"No. I'm taking the day off."

_Shit!_ She had assumed he would be far away from the cottage when the effects of the poison started to take hold. She had no idea how long it would take for him to feel it, but she assumed one to two hours. And she had no idea how long it would need to take to come to its full conclusion.

Anxiously, she sat at the table while Sasuke meditated some more on the hard stone floor. Her irritation grew and she thought she would go mad just waiting for something to happen. Her muscles ached from the tension as she kept herself alert to Sasuke's body language and prepared herself to move as quickly as her pregnant belly would allow should he make any sudden movements.

About an hour and a half after breakfast, Sasuke's eyes shot open.

He didn't move at first, but activated his Sharingan and slowly raised his hand in front of his face to turn it this way and that. Finally his eyes narrowed on the prominent veins of his wrist. They were darker than usual.

"Sakura. What did you do?"

It was an accusation, not a question, and his voice was a menacing, low hiss.

She had been found out.

Unable to respond, Sakura sat there paralyzed in fear. This is where her plan would go horribly wrong. This was the time when she thought he would actually kill her; his eyes certainly held a murderous glare.

She had realized too late that this would be a possibility, and had done her best to prepare, but how could she truly prepare to face a homicidal Sasuke? She did the only thing she could think of, and lied through her teeth.

"I didn't do anything, Sasuke. What's wrong?"

Damn, her voice was shaky and too high pitched. Then again, she would have been terrified of him in this moment even if she was completely innocent after all.

He rose from the ground and stalked towards her as she stood and moved to keep the table between them.

"You're a lying bitch."

The calmness of his tone was more terrifying than if he'd been screaming at her. Before she could respond his long arm lashed out across the width of the small table and his fist struck her cheekbone.

It took everything Sakura had not be thrown to the ground by his punch. She stumbled backwards, summoning chakra to her feet to keep her upright. Knowing she had no other choice, she raised her chakra-coated fists in a defensive stance. She would defend herself as best she could for as long as she could and hope that the poison would take full effect soon. What would happen first—would Sasuke die before her eyes or would she die from his wrath?

"You poisoned me—how? Where is the antidote?!"

His voice was gaining volume as his panic rose, and he rained blows down on Sakura. She realized that she was able to block at least half of them—his movements had been slowed down enough for that. She was fortunate that he was aiming mostly for her head instead of her stomach, but didn't know if he would continue that way.

"Where is it?! _I'll kill you, Sakura!"_

Suddenly his foot kicked out and caught her knee; she dropped to the ground with a sharp cry and she felt her wrist snap as she broke her fall. He was kicking her now, and she curled away from him to protect her belly. She couldn't get her footing as he towered over her, but she kicked out with her own feet as best she could.

It was happening too quickly, she still couldn't keep up with his movements. The poison should have been continuing to slow him down—why was it taking so long? How long could she keep this up? She was becoming confused and panicked herself, and had to try and remind herself that she was not the one with poison in her bloodstream.

Sasuke had pulled his arm back for another punch when suddenly he froze. Sakura looked up at him to see a kunai protruding from his shoulder.

A kunai.

That meant someone else was here.

Her brain processed these thoughts in slow motion as she looked past Sasuke towards the door.

Kakashi stood on the threshold.

That was all she could take in before she fainted.

* * *

"Sakura!" Kakashi cried as he watched Sakura go limp on the floor.

His heart seemed to stop but years of battlefield experience propelled his feet towards Sasuke. Kakashi struck out at him with another long kunai and managed to graze his forearm as Sasuke grabbed the kunai from his own shoulder.

He had to lead Sasuke out of this place and away from Sakura. The other four members of his team were searching different islands, but they would be on their way. Kakashi had set off the emergency flare as soon as he had located Sakura's scent on the island about five minutes ago.

Kakashi lunged forward and steered the fight towards the door. At close range, he noticed Sasuke's sweaty, paler than usual face before spotting the dark veins.

What the...? That looked like the effects of poison. Had Sakura done this? Sasuke was certainly weaker than Kakashi had expected.

Once outside with room to move Kakashi felt more in control. This was where he excelled the most—no holds barred hand-to-hand combat.

Sasuke may have been weakened with poison, but he was still formidable, and Kakashi took a vicious cut to one shoulder. As he felt the thick blood begin to stream down his arm and make his shirt stick to his skin, he was grateful that Sasuke hadn't managed to get his hands on a katana in the last few months.

Not to be left open by the hit he took to his shoulder, Kakashi lashed out with a high kick that connected directly with Sasuke's chest. Sasuke tumbled but righted himself once more, charging a chidori in his left hand. Kakashi darted left just before Sasuke reached him.

The jutsu seemed to have severely taken its toll on Sasuke. His chest heaved with every raspy breath, and his Sharingan eyes were crazed with anger and—if Kakashi could believe it—_fear._

Sasuke was afraid. He knew he was going to lose this fight—lose his life—and he was desperate now. When he didn't attempt another jutsu, Kakashi knew he must be too low on chakra.

As Sasuke desperately charged forward with his kunai clutched in both hands, Kakashi summoned the white-hot lightning to his palm and they met in the middle.

* * *

Sasuke, the last Uchiha, found himself laying on the wet jungle floor as his pulse slowed and his breaths became shallow.

How had he gotten here?

In those moments he recalled flashes of feelings dating back to his childhood. Anguish. Hatred. Victory. Redemption.

But never glory. Never the satisfaction of finding fulfillment. He thought they would have gone hand-in-hand, that once he had the restored the power of the Uchiha he would find happiness. His clan had been everything to him. They were gone, and now he was leaving this world in much the same way.

It had all been for nothing, hadn't it? His best-laid plans were ruined and twisted by the cruelty of fate.

Pink hair swirled in his vision. The color was supposed to represent his happiness. Hadn't that been part of what he had so desperately sought? She had been integral to his final campaign, his last attempt to gain the serenity he so desired through the sovereignty he coveted. She had failed him.

Sasuke's vision dimmed until he could only make out the bright pink of her hair.

Pink.

The color of cherry blossoms.

Pink.

The color of his failure.

* * *

Kakashi stumbled back from Sasuke's body and fell to all fours, his chest heaving.

It was over, finally over.

For a few minutes his focus remained on the hands in front of his face, the ones that kept him from crashing down to the ground like Sasuke. The ones that had ended another life with a hole burned through flesh.

Kakashi had killed many people in his life. He didn't have an exact count, but he estimated it to be approaching a few hundred, and he had witnessed the deaths of several hundred more.

Was Sasuke's death any different than those uncounted lives he had snuffed out? This seemed to be one of those that would stay with him. Like Obito's death, and Rin's.

He felt conflicted. How could he lump Sasuke into the same category as his two beloved teammates? But that was just it, wasn't it? It had been long ago, but Sasuke had been his student, his teammate. They had tried to save him, but in the end Sasuke's dark path sealed his fate. Naruto had said it best. Sasuke was no longer their friend. Sasuke was dead, and Kakashi had killed him.

But that was only partially true—Kakashi had delivered a fatal blow, but Sasuke had already been approaching death.

"Sakura…" he breathed as he came back from his reverie.

Quickly he staggered the short distance back to the cottage and burst through the door. To his immense relief, Sakura was conscious and sitting up, though she was still on the floor where her final confrontation with Sasuke had taken place. Her face was stricken with fear and disbelief.

"I heard the fight outside," she whispered. "I was afraid to look."

Kakashi knelt slowly in front of her and ignored her unasked question. _Is Sasuke…?_

"Are you hurt?" he asked instead. His eyes roved over her quickly. She cradled her left wrist against her side, but even as he watched her bruises were fading. She couldn't be too severely injured if she had the chakra and the presence of mind to heal herself.

"Not badly," she replied honestly.

Her eyes begged for him to do something other than stare at her. Not being able to hold back any more, he pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her passionately. It was amazing how one kiss could set everything right in the world. Sakura was safe. Their baby was safe. Nothing else mattered.

They were startled from their moment when they heard Naruto's rough voice from the doorway.

"Shikamaru owes me ten ryo. He bet that Kakashi would still be fighting Sasuke when we got here; I bet that you'd be kissing."

His statement was humorous and said with a tight smile, but it was clear that Naruto felt the same mixture of relief and sadness as the other two. Sakura silently reached an arm out to Naruto, and he joined them on the floor. They were quiet for several minutes, contemplative of their circumstances and the fate of their once-friend and teammate.

"Where are the others?" Kakashi asked.

"Outside. Taking care of things."

Ah, yes. Things. The unpleasant things. Like disposing of Sasuke's body.

He would not be brought back to Konoha for an honorable burial; the Hokage had made that a condition of her blessing for this mission. Instead he was treated as any other missing-nin, as the ANBU performed jutsu that would turn his body to ash and take with it all of its secrets.

"How did you find me?" Sakura finally asked, breaking her long silence.

Kakashi was grateful to at least move on from the topic of what had happened to Sasuke.

"As soon as we figured out Sasuke's true intention, we got back to Konoha as fast as we could. By the time we arrived, we knew you'd been gone for about 48 hours. It took us a long time to figure out which direction he'd taken you—we still don't know how but we couldn't find your scent or his. It was chance that Pakkun picked up your scent about fifteen kilometers south of the village. We followed the trail to the sea. That was two days ago, and we've been splitting up, searching each island for you."

"I knew you'd come. I knew you'd find me."

Finally Sakura's face was starting to relax, and there was relief in her voice.

"You knew, but you had your own contingency plan, didn't you?" Kakashi asked knowingly.

She grimaced at this.

"It was senbon-poison…he didn't find it in my med pouch…I was running out of time…"

"You poisoned Sasuke?" Naruto clarified in disbelief.

Kakashi nodded.

"I saw the symptoms on him. He figured it out, though. I'm glad I got here when I did."

This revelation warranted another bout of quiet until Sakura broke the silence again.

"Kakashi…" she pleaded. "Please take me home."

It would be a long journey back to Konoha from here, but Kakashi would make that trek an infinite number of times as long as he could carry Sakura in his arms and know that she was safe.

* * *

They arrived back in Konoha just over two weeks before the baby was due. Tsunade herself actually ventured out from the Hokage tower to meet them at the gates. She smiled broadly when their group came into view.

"Kakashi," she addressed him directly and with authority, "Thank you for bringing Sakura home safely."

There was no mention of Sasuke, not yet. He would speak with Tsunade later and make his full report, but for now they were all grateful to have returned from a dangerous mission unscathed.

Kakashi refused to leave Sakura's side after they returned. He had missed her too much and had almost lost her—again. It just didn't seem that there was anything else more important. Short mission that wouldn't even require being gone overnight? Reassigned to someone else. Monthly Jonin meeting? He only attended those about half the time anyway. Even training was suspended for the time being.

At Tsunade's order, Sakura was placed on maternity leave early. Tsunade called it "post traumatic" leave, but Sakura loudly protested the semantics, saying that she resented being treated like a helpless pregnant lady. Kakashi had to politely remind her that while she may not be entirely helpless, she _was_ pregnant, and had been through a rather upsetting ordeal.

Part of her acceptance of her leave was that she be present when Kakashi made his full report to Tsunade. Although Kakashi hesitated, the resolve and determination in Sakura's eyes reminded him of her strength. She had cried many tears since coming home, that was true. But she was tougher than she had been several months ago. Though her tears fell again as she relayed her story in the Hokage's office, she also radiated poise and confidence. Neither did she flinch away from the details of Kakashi's report.

Kakashi was proud of her—proud of the woman and the warrior she had become. Proud that even though she had been through hell and was even going to be giving birth in a short time, she was the vibrant woman he had fallen in love with so many months ago. She had found that part of herself again. He knew that he had helped her, knew that she was stronger when she was with him. But that resolve, that stubborn determination to overcome and to flourish; that was all Sakura.

He was in awe of her.

* * *

It took Kakashi several days to find the right one. It had to be just right: not too small, not too big or gaudy. She would wear it always and it had to withstand the abuse her hands saw on a daily basis. He considered enlisting Ino's help, but decided he wanted it just to come from him. In the end he decided that simple was best, and settled on a plain platinum band. He had it engraved on the inside, which took another day.

_To S, from K with love._

And then he carried it around in his pocket for two more days before he realized that the baby was due in three, and he was short on time.

He knew she would say yes; she pretty much already had. He was anxious and excited but just wanted to see the ring on her finger without having to actually ask the question. He couldn't believe he was actually _nervous_ about asking Sakura to marry him. He had no reason to be, other than she was the most courageous, passionate, beautiful, and stubborn woman he had ever known, and without her he knew he would have been lost many years ago.

So that night as they cuddled on the couch with their respective books, Kakashi screwed his courage tight, wondering if she could feel his pulse race from where her head rested in his lap.

"Sakura..." He started after clearing his throat.

He must have looked panicked or something because she glanced up at him and then set her book on the table. He helped her into a sitting position with one hand while his other fumbled in his pocket for the ring. Then finally there was no other reason for him not to speak; she looked at him expectantly and with mild concern.

A deep breath, and then the words tumbled from his mouth. He tried not to rush them but couldn't help it in his anticipation.

"Sakura. I love you. I want to spend every day with you, forever, as equals. Will you marry me?"

His voice came out gravelly, heavy with emotion and he held her gaze. When she didn't immediately respond he took her hand and placed the ring in her palm, then held her fingers closed over it.

Her eyes seemed unfocused, like she was thinking deeply, then suddenly they went wide and she focused on Kakashi again.

"Oh no..." She breathed.

_What? _ Was she turning him down?

"Sakura? What do you mean? Is something wrong?"

He really might panic if she didn't elaborate on her answer. She loved him too, didn't she?

…Didn't she?

"Kakashi...I think my water just broke."

"Wait...what?"

He was confused; his brain had trouble jumping from one topic to another. He had asked her to marry him…and she responded by saying that her water broke?

Her water broke.

The baby.

Oh god, the baby was coming. _Now._

"Kakashi, we have to get to the hospital…"

Her voice was quiet but with an edge of panic, snapping Kakashi into action. In an instant he had grabbed her shoes and her hospital bag, and finally _her_ before bounding out the door into the night.

* * *

Despite the drama that had plagued their little family for months, Hatake Obito came into the world just like every other baby born in Konoha: screaming and crying and mercifully without complications.

For Sakura it had been a grueling night, and Kakashi had a minor panic attack every time she screamed. The doctors and Tsunade kept assuring him that everything was normal, but it went against all of his instincts to just sit there and let her crush his hands in her monstrous grip instead of _doing_ something to help her.

Now, as Kakashi held his tiny son in his arms while watching him and Sakura both sleep, he felt that the last piece of the puzzle of his life finally snapped into place.

It was all worth it. Everything. Every moment, good and bad; every pain they had suffered, and every joy they had shared. It all led them to this happiness right here.

Kakashi lightly rubbed his hand over the tuft of soft pink hair on Obito's head. Privately, he was grateful for the unusual color as opposed to the alternative. He would have loved the boy either way, of course, but he loved seeing so much of Sakura in the little guy.

And what had he been afraid of? Kakashi had never before felt a stronger urge to _protect_ something or someone, which said a lot considering that had more or less been his job for the last twenty years. No longer did he fear making a mistake. If such a perfect little child could be born of all the strife that had preceded him into the world, then there was nothing Kakashi could do that would mess it up.

After a time Kakashi forgot even to look at Sakura as he sat mesmerized by Obito, until he heard a soft rustle from the hospital bed.

Sakura laid on her side, watching them with clear green eyes and a warm smile.

It was the most beautiful he had ever seen her.

"Yes," she spoke warmly.

"Hmm?" Kakashi questioned.

"I never got a chance to answer you. Yes. Yes, I'll marry you, Kakashi."

There was a trace of humor in her voice at the circumstance of their interrupted proposal, but his heart leaped for joy all the same. Gently he leaned forward and gave her a sweet, chaste kiss.

"I'm glad," he teased, "Otherwise I would have had some real explaining to do about putting the ring on your finger while you were asleep."

She laughed quietly and held out her hand so they could admire it.

* * *

One month later, Sakura could say that she had truly never been happier. She was exhausted, yes, but it was bliss. Obito was the light of her life. Even when she struggled to get out of bed in the middle of the night, as soon as she had him in her arms she felt a sense of calming purpose wash over her. It didn't matter that she was tired, or hadn't put on makeup in weeks. Obito didn't care. He just needed to be loved and cared for, and Sakura adored him.

Even more impressive was how quickly Kakashi had taken to fatherhood. She beamed when she watched Kakashi brighten every time he picked up the baby, and she had to stifle her laughter when she caught him pulling faces to make him laugh. And perhaps her most precious memory was the night she had woken up in the small hours to find Kakashi humming a lullaby to Obito in his arms, and a smile on his face.

Sakura would be eternally grateful that Kakashi had been able to stay home with her for the first month after Obito's birth. Not only was he a huge help with the baby, but she had also gotten used to being able to spend every day together as a family. She cherished those happy days.

So it was with great disappointment that she watched Kakashi pack for the mission he would be leaving for at dawn the next day.

"I'll only be gone a few days, I promise. We aren't even leaving Fire Country," he assured her with a crinkle of his eye.

She wasn't worried about him, but pouted a little because she would miss him.

The next morning when she woke, she was surprised and delighted to find a flavored coffee waiting on the kitchen counter with a note.

_Sorry I couldn't have coffee with you on the anniversary of our first date. Give Obito a kiss for me every hour until I'm home. I love you both._

_Kakashi_

She laughed at his thoughtfulness and the exaggeration of his note. Yes, this was how her life was meant to be all along.

* * *

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this story. I've never thought of myself as a writer of fiction, and it has been amazing to me to see the number of people from all over the world that have read and hopefully enjoyed my work!

I know I said this would be the last chapter, but I _am_ working on a small collection of little anecdotes that will serve as an epilogue. I hope to finish and post those later in the week.

Other than that, I do also have another fic brewing in my head. This one will also be KakaSaku but more canon, if it turns out the way I am envisioning it to be. It will be a while before I am ready to start posting that, but hopefully you can look forward to it!

Thank you again. :)


	9. Epilogue: Drabbles

**.**

**The Tenacity of Her Heart**

**An Epilogue in the Form of Drabbles**

* * *

**Equal**

"When we get married," Kakashi started as he lounged on the couch with Sakura one evening, "Can I walk down the aisle with you?"

She sat up slowly and gave him a confused look.

"Why do you want to do that?"

"I thought it would be more appropriate. Having your father hand you off to me seems...not like you. You don't belong to anyone and you're the most fiercely independent woman I've ever known. You're my equal."

Sakura blushed. In truth she was torn. Part of her wanted that moment with her father, but part of her was flattered by Kakashi's statement. She liked the symbolism behind the action. After a few contemplative minutes, she made her decision.

"Okay, but on one condition." She paused for dramatic effect. "You don't wear your mask at the wedding."

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock. Stand in front of all those people, all their family and friends, and give away his most closely guarded secret to them all at once?

He decided that Sakura was also the most _conniving_ kunoichi he had ever met. He would always fall prey to her schemes.

* * *

**Fault**

"I'm blaming you for this, you know," Sakura fumed as she walked down the street with Kakashi.

"Me? Why me?"

"Because twins don't run in my family, that's why!"

"Well they don't run in my family either," Kakashi replied with a smirk.

"Yes, but you're a _Hatake,_ and god knows you never do anything in halves! And in this case you went for double!"

"Well technically you're a Hatake now too..."

Sakura replied only with a swat to the back of his head, which he ducked easily. Kakashi, however, couldn't wipe the stupid grin off his face.

* * *

**Scars**

It was nearing three in the morning, and far later than he had anticipated returning home from his two-week long mission. Thankfully, Kakashi wasn't wounded and wouldn't have to wake Sakura. After slipping off his outer gear, he silently made his way down the hall to join her for a well-needed night of sleep in an actual bed.

It was only a slight surprise that he found Sakura sound asleep on top of the covers, a book open across her lap and the bedside light still on. He smiled softly as he realized she had tried to wait up for him.

Gently so as not to wake her, Kakashi laid the book on her nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed, taking in the serene face he had missed with a tangible ache while he was away. His fingers tenderly brushed a lock of hair away from her forehead, and still she slept on. He knew she was exhausted; taking care of three small children had that effect, and she'd been mostly on her own for two weeks.

He looked forward to his turn to stay home and have their children to himself, when Sakura next took a mission. They tried to take turns, and when they could persuade Ino or Hinata to babysit for a length of time they would take missions together.

That was less likely to happen now that there were three of them, though; Tsutsuji and Ajisai had been born three months ago. Remembering, Kakashi traced the scar on Sakura's belly from the cesarean surgery. That had been worse than the night Obito was born. The surgery was an emergency, and Kakashi could barely follow Tsunade's hurried explanation as they wheeled Sakura away from him. He hadn't even been allowed in the room. But after all that, the twins were healthy, and now all that remained was this scar.

His thoughts jumped to another night, around two years ago, when he had last studied the scars on Sakura's body. That night had been much more pleasant. Kakashi broke into a grin, remembering their sake-induced competition to see who had better stories behind the marks on their bodies. Predictably, Kakashi won easily.

Now, though, Kakashi thought Sakura was the winner. The story behind this scar was the one that brought two small miracles into their lives, and he could never compete with that.

Not even caring that he was still wearing his shirt and pants, Kakashi turned off the light and crawled onto the bed next to Sakura, pulling her against him for warmth. She murmured with the shifting position, but didn't wake. They would be up soon enough; it was only a matter of time before Tsutsuji woke up. She was always first, but not to be outdone, her sister Ajisai followed within seconds. Kakashi smiled at his good fortune as he breathed in the familiar scent of home and finally fell asleep.

* * *

**Live with Me**

Kakashi watched in true terror like he had never felt before. Sakura was falling to the ground, a gaping wound in her side. The rogue nin that had surrounded their four-man team were nearly defeated, but his focus was not on the remaining enemies. His world narrowed to Sakura as he watched her crumple and lay still.

"Sakura!"

In an instant he was by her side, rolling her onto her back. She was still conscious, but barely. Her eyes were wide and her hands moved feebly over her wound.

"Kakashi…" she whispered, "I can't…not enough chakra…"

No. No, no, no. This was not acceptable. She couldn't die right here. They were only a few hours from Konoha. _No!_

"Come on Sakura, stay with me…"

He pressed his hands on top of hers, trying to lend her his chakra. But she was too weak, she couldn't use it.

"Kakashi…" Looking up to her face he saw her eyes well with tears, reading behind them the things he knew she wanted to say. _I love you. I love our children. Tell them I love them. I'm sorry._

Why couldn't he do something? Why was he so helpless? He didn't know any medical jutsu, and cursed his stupidity. Making a vow, he swore to himself that he would have Sakura teach him some basics when they got home. Because they _were_ going home, together. He refused to let this end any other way.

Taking a rash chance, Kakashi did the only thing he could think of. He summoned his lightning chakra, which came most naturally to him, to both palms. If he could just change the form of it from bolts of electricity to encompassing heat…

_There!_ His hands felt like they were being stabbed with tiny needles as he directed the electricity inward in order to produce a smoother outer layer of chakra around his hands. This wasn't going to be pretty, but it was his only option.

As gently as he could, he pressed both glowing hands to Sakura's side. She screamed at the contact of the blistering heat. It twisted the fear in his heart to hear her in such agony.

"Sakura! Sakura I'm sorry! You have to make it. You have to live with me, Sakura…"

The lump in his throat prevented him from saying any more. His hands burned with the effort, the ring on his finger scalding hot with the prolonged exposure to his chakra.

But he could feel it working.

Slowly, he was cauterizing her wound. The blood was slowing. She had lost a lot, but he hoped that he would be able to stop the bleeding quickly enough that she would survive.

After maybe five minutes, he was forced to stop. He was no medic-nin; he did not have the endurance to mold his chakra in such a way for any length of time. Slowly he removed his shaking hands from her body, and with a cry of relief saw that the wound was now closed.

An ugly, dark burn sprawled across her torso where his hands had been, far bigger than the original wound, and he knew there was still internal damage he had not been able to do anything about. She was not in the clear yet, but he held out hope that he had been able to save her.

She had lost consciousness at some point, and her pulse was faint but steady. If he could get her back to Konoha quickly, she could still live. With practiced efficiency he summoned two of his ninken.

"Uhei, take a message back to Konoha as quickly as you can. We need a medic to meet us as soon as possible. Pakkun, stay here with Genma and Shikamaru. Let them know I had to get Sakura back now."

The two dogs bobbed their heads in understanding before taking off in opposite directions. Kakashi gathered Sakura in his arms and sped off after Uhei.

"Sakura, you're going to live with me."

* * *

**Precious**

Obito was twelve.

So far, Kakashi had managed to get the Council to mind their own business, but Obito was going to be graduating from the Academy in two short months. For his son's safety, Kakashi had to find a way to get the Sharingan to manifest _soon_ and avoid the meddling of the Council. They had started dropping hints to he and Sakura early in the year that they expected _great things_ from their son upon his graduation. Three days ago, Tsunade had bluntly told him that she could only keep a leash on the dogs for so much longer, though she was now a begrudging Council member herself.

So on a warm sunny evening, Obito sat side by side with Kakashi on a grassy slope overlooking the river. The pair had always been comfortable with silence, but Obito fidgeted. Kakashi was trying to find the way to bring up a difficult subject, and Obito knew it.

Kakashi thought this was worse than the "birds and the bees" talk that Sakura forced him to give Obito last year.

In looking at his son's profile, Kakashi could see traces of both the boy's genetic father and his namesake. His hair was definitely pink, but it had darkened over time to a deep sort of mauve color, and had a habit of sticking up in the back. His eyes reminded Kakashi of his childhood friend—warm and with an excitement that was rarely hidden. Now, the rich warmth of Obito's gaze slid to the side.

"Obito," Kakashi spoke quietly.

The boy drew his knees up and turned towards his father, an attentive expression on his face.

"Your mother and I have told you that by blood, I am not the man who gave you life."

Obito nodded solemnly. They had not tried to hide the fact from him, knowing that it was unrealistic to think Obito would never find out. Especially because he would be the only ninja of his generation with the Sharingan.

"What do you know about your family history, Obito?"

Kakashi could see the thoughts as they went through the boy's head, trying to work out what he should say.

"I know that man was from a powerful clan. I've heard rumors at school…"

Kakashi was hardly surprised. In the same way the children of Naruto's class had heard things from their parents and whispered to each other in the halls, so had the children of Obito's class.

"You know that you are a descendant of the Uchiha clan by blood."

"Yes, but I'm a Hatake, not an Uchiha!"

Kakashi was proud of such a loyal proclamation coming from Obito, and couldn't suppress a small smile. He was glad for it, too, because it eased some of the tension he felt.

"And do you know the story of how I received my eye from my friend, the one for whom you are named?"

Another nod.

"Yes, Dad. The Sharingan eye."

Obito's voice was hushed and full of awe, as if speaking of a legend, or a secret that he wasn't supposed to know.

Kakashi paused again, not really sure how to proceed. There were another few moments of silence, and Kakashi was grateful that for all of his excitability, Obito had not inherited his mother's impatience.

"You know then, Obito, that you have the potential to awaken the Sharingan."

The boy paused before answering, not sure if he was supposed to have figured that much out so far.

"No…yes…I mean I kinda had a feeling, but I wasn't sure. I tried to do some research in the library but there is almost nothing there on the Uchiha or the Sharingan. I only know what they tell us in school."

Also not a surprise to Kakashi.

"Obito, the Sharingan is a powerful weapon, and can be dangerous if you cannot control it. Which is why I am going to teach you. We are going to draw out your Sharingan."

"Draw it out? What does that mean?"

Obito sounded incredulous, and so much like Sakura that Kakashi gave a small chuckle at the memory of the same words from her mouth so many years ago.

"It means that I am going to help you awaken your Sharingan, so that you may learn to use it properly. This will both make you a formidable shinobi and help keep you safe."

The excitement was back in Obito's wide brown eyes, shining and eager. The boy's body bounced with his desire to spring to his feet and get started this very instant.

"How are we going to do _that?"_

At least this part, Kakashi had already thought through. He didn't know if it would work, but it was a good starting point, and Sakura supported his theory.

"There is something you need to understand, first, Obito. The Uchiha clan was motivated by power, as I'm sure you know from your lessons."

An excited, bobbing nod, but Obito remained silent.

"That thirst for power was the primary source of strife among the clan, to the point that it became a weakness," He paused again before changing the line of conversation. "Have you listened to the Hokage's lectures at school?"

"Yes, Naruto-sensei always has the _best_ stories!"

"I'm sure, then, that you've heard about Naruto's first opponent as a Genin—a boy named Haku?"

Obito contained his excitement again, remembering the seriousness of their conversation.

"Of course!"

"And what did Naruto tell you that he learned from Haku?"

"Haku taught Naruto-sensei that a strong shinobi must have something to protect, something that is precious to them."

Kakashi nodded in agreement.

"Exactly. What is precious to you, Obito?"

"Well as shinobi we are supposed to put Konoha above everything…"

Kakashi shook his head. That was a lesson for another conversation, though not entirely different than the one they were having now.

"No, not your duty as a shinobi. I want to know what is most precious to _you,_ Obito, in here," he explained with a gentle tap to the boy's chest, just above his heart.

Obito was silent for a minute, and turned his gaze towards the slowly drifting river.

"I guess…I guess Tsutsuji and Ajisai. And you and Mom. And my friends."

"And these people that are precious to you—would you give your life to protect them?"

There was no hesitation in Obito's answer.

"Of course! That's what it means to be a shinobi—we protect people with our lives!"

Kakashi gave a small smile at his son's enthusiasm, as innocent as it was. He would find out soon enough the darker side of the ninja world.

"Yes. But even when you are protecting a stranger, you must always keep those who are precious to you in your thoughts. You must remember that not only do you fight to protect Konoha, but you fight to protect _them._ And that is what you must remember when using your Sharingan. You must not let the power of such a weapon rule you. It is only a tool, and without it you must still be able to protect those who are precious to you. If you let the power make you overconfident, you will not be able to protect those people precious to you."

Kakashi watched as different expressions flitted across Obito's face. Confusion at first, then slowly understanding came over him as he processed this long speech from his father. His expression was once again one of awe when he next met Kakashi's eyes.

"So you're saying I have to use my Sharingan for good and not evil?"

Kakashi smiled. A shinobi he was, but he was also still a boy.

"Yes, Obito. You must always use it for good, and never for evil."

It was Kakashi's hope that with this philosophy, they could force the strong need to protect that often triggered the Sharingan, without the danger of an enemy bearing down on them. It would still be a difficult and emotional experience, but Kakashi certainly wanted to start there. Only time would tell if it would be enough to avoid the prying hands of the Council.

* * *

**History**

Sakura had kept a private journal since shortly after Obito's birth. For the last twelve years, she had written letters in it, addressed to her son. As she perched one fine spring morning on the edge of her bed, she leafed through the pages. Some entries leapt out at her, and she found that she could still vividly see each memory. Each page was leathery with the press of the fine-tipped pen, each word carefully considered and recorded for Obito.

She had struggled for many months with how to tell Sasuke's story to her son. At first she had started writing because Obito was too small to understand or remember the words she would have spoken about his true parentage. Later it was because she didn't know what to say whenever she tried to speak to him in person.

This journal was her gift to him on the day of his graduation from the Academy.

Obito had grown up knowing that Kakashi wasn't his father by blood, but they had kept a lot of the details from him. He knew of course that he had Uchiha blood, and Kakashi had managed, after several exasperating and emotional days, to help Obito activate the Sharingan. He was a smart kid, and Sakura was sure he knew more than he would ever let on to Kakashi and Sakura.

The journal detailed Sasuke's tragic story, and although she glossed over the details, it explained what happened to him, and why he was not a part of Obito's life. Some entries were more personal, as Sakura had sometimes poured her heart onto the pages in the hope that Obito would understand the choices she made and what she wanted for her son's future.

She had written the final entry this morning. It simply said that she was proud of him, she loved him, and that he should choose his own path in life but that she hoped it would be one that he would be proud of as well.

Now was the time for everything to come to light. As a full-fledged shinobi, Obito had the right to understand his past, and understand his future. He was traveling the same path that they all started on, but it was his choices that would determine the kind of shinobi he became.

* * *

**Bonds**

"Aji."

Tsutsuji's slightly younger twin sister only snored and rolled away from her. It was late, well after midnight, and she couldn't sleep. Who knew how much time they had left together! So Tsuji had crossed their bedroom to her sister's bed, crawling under the sheet and pulling it up over their heads as they had done when they were little. She poked Aji hard under her shoulder blade this time.

"Aji!" she spoke in a harsh whisper. "Wake up!"

Aji rolled back and squirmed uncomfortably in reaction.

"What did you do that for?"

"Because you wouldn't wake up!"

"Well I'm awake now…what is it?"

Aji was only slightly agitated; the two rarely had real fights and Tsuji knew Aji just wanted to slip back into sleep.

"Aji…they're going to split us up."

The younger twin frowned at this, and seemed more awake now.

"Yeah I know. We'll be put on different teams."

Their graduation from the Academy was in just a few days. Over the last few weeks it had become increasingly clear that Iruka-sensei intended to put them on different Genin teams. He had been forcing them to pair up with different kids for training exercises, much to both girls' dismay.

"What are we going to do?"

Aji snorted derisively.

"There's nothing we _can_ do. Mom and Dad think it's good for us."

"We won't be the same anymore," Tsuji observed. "Whoever we get teamed up with, and our sensei's, they're going to change us in different ways."

Both girls were quiet for a few minutes as they contemplated Tsuji's statement.

"Maybe…maybe that won't be so bad," Aji admitted hesitantly. She received an incredulous look from her sister, who felt a mild betrayal at such a statement.

"Let me explain. If we learn different techniques from our teams, we could always teach them to each other, right? So then we would have twice the number of skills and jutsus as the other Genin!" Aji's voice rose in volume as she spoke, becoming more excited at the possibilities. "We'll move up the ranks in no time!"

"But Aji…we're never going to go on missions together! We're always going to be on different schedules!"

"Well yeah, but we're different than other people. We're _twins_. We'll always be together when we aren't on missions, and we think the same way, so we can teach stuff to each other in no time!"

Tsuji was skeptical, but the idea of learning from each other was too great to dismiss. If they trained hard, they would even be able to hold their own against Obito and his Sharingan.

"I guess…" Tsuji agreed reluctantly. "It's not like other ninja don't find time to have friends. We can make it work."

"Of course we can!" Aji confirmed with a wide grin. "Now get out of my bed before I pay you back for poking me too hard!"

* * *

**Trouble**

Kakashi was highly suspicious.

There was _entirely_ too much giggling coming from the shared bedroom of his teenage twin daughters. This meant they were up to something; the giggling was what _always_ gave them away. They were masters of verbal deception and misdirection and Kakashi had learned long ago that he had to be wary of their tricks—_especially_ when they were together.

He decided to wait patiently in the living room, in his favorite armchair where he had a good view of both the staircase and the front door. He opened a well-read novel (though regrettably not _Icha Icha_), and made himself appear busy while listening for changes in their voices or other sounds that would indicate they were on the move.

When Sakura walked in from the kitchen a few minutes later, she only smirked at him.

"You're not fooling anyone, you know."

"I don't know what you're talking about," he replied with feigned innocence. Just then his ears perked up at the sound of a door opening, and a telling sudden _lack_ of giggling.

Ajisai skipped down the stairs first, with a bright smile on her face, her sister following closely behind.

"Daddy!" she greeted, before coming to give him a kiss on the temple.

Kakashi purposefully gave her an eye crinkle and nodded, before glancing back down at his book to continue observing while seeming to be disinterested. He wasn't yet sure what their game was, but Tsutsuji tagged in then.

"Daddy can I get you anything? Water? Tea?"

Oh, so they were buttering him up. This was child's play and far below what they were capable of, so they couldn't be up to anything _too_ devious.

"No, thank you, Tsuji," he replied nonchalantly.

"Okay, well we're meeting some friends, we'll see you later!"

"Bye!"

Kakashi looked at them more fully for the first time as they made a beeline for the door.

"Hold it!"

Both girls were wearing dresses far shorter than he'd ever known they owned, and their sleek silver hair hung in waves that Kakashi guessed must have taken them a good forty-five minutes to perfect. They looked at him expectantly with innocent jade eyes.

The pieces clicked into place in Kakashi's mind. There was only one reason they would be dressed like this on a Saturday evening.

They had dates.

"Who are they? And what are you wearing?" he demanded. To his surprise, Sakura jumped to their defense first.

"Kakashi!" she admonished with a swat to his head, "The girls are _Chunin_. I'm sure they can take care of themselves on a _date."_

"Of course!" chimed Tsutsuji, "Besides, I don't think anybody's going to go near Aji after she threatened Tomiichi last week with a kunai to his—ouch!"

Ajisai had pointedly elbowed her sister in the side, and the two exchanged mild glares before uniting again for their cause. Kakashi decided he really didn't want to know.

"And we wear less clothes that this when we're _training,_ Daddy, jeeze!"

This was a losing battle. He could tell from Sakura's pointed gaze at the side of his head that she was on their side. He huffed a sigh.

"Names and rank?"

"Daddy!"

"Oh come on!"

"Names. And. Rank."

He made eye contact with Tsutsuji and held it; he knew she usually broke more easily. She shifted her weight to her other foot and Kakashi could tell she was close to giving up the names, but their gaze was broken when Ajisai nudged her sister.

In a glance that couldn't have lasted more than half a second, they had communicated something that Kakashi couldn't follow. He resigned himself to be subjected to their uncanny ability to seemingly read each other's minds, and reminded himself again that this was a _highly useful_ skill for the two kunoichi when they went on missions. It was then that they spoke quickly and simultaneously, a move perfectly executed down to the intonation and relative volume of their voices.

"Yukimura Kosuke, Chunin."

"Hisakawa Tatsuya, Jonin."

Oh, good…Wait, what?

_Jonin?_

"Aji…" he said warningly.

"He just passed the exams last month!" she assured him, "He's only a year older than me!"

"And now you know for sure that Tatsuya will be able to _protect us,_ Daddy," Tsutsuji chimed in a singsong tone.

Her twist on his earlier protests to the date in general was not lost on him. Kakashi knew he'd been had, and huffed again.

"Fine, have fun, girls..." he said with a begrudging wave of his hand.

They squealed in delight and bent to kiss him on each temple in thanks before running for the door.

"Just make sure they know your father is the Copy Ninja!" he called after them. The only response he received was another fit of giggles as they raced down the street and away from the house.

That, and another swat to his head from Sakura.

* * *

**Fight**

Obito stood alert in a defensive stance, waiting and listening for any sounds or other signs of movement. The tomoe of his Sharingan spun slowly as he stepped in a circle, trying to spot the chakra of his two opponents.

He'd already dispelled the genjutsu that Tsutsuji had trapped him in. It only took him about thirty seconds to recognize it, but with his Sharingan he was impressed that she had trapped him at all. Tsutsuji was more proficient with genjutsu than Ajisai, whose preferred techniques tended to be more brutal and less elegant. She took after their mother that way.

Those thirty seconds had cost him dearly, as they had used it as cover to hide their locations, and Obito was pleased that they masked their chakra as well.

The slight tremble of the earth in a fraction of a second was the only warning he had before it crumbled at his feet. He jumped and whirled to face Aji, who had sprung out of the ground in a perfect imitation of one of their father's favorite moves. As he turned and aimed a kick at one twin, he could sense Tsuji coming at him from above. There was no time to dodge as he had leapt straight into her path, and he took a punch to his left shoulder that hurt, but didn't dislocate it.

"Come on Tsuji, I know you can hit harder than that…" he goaded after landing a few feet away.

"You're right, I can!"

_Shadow clone!_

Obito had left himself open to Aji, and didn't have time to doge the second hit from both her and Tsuji to his shoulder, which _did_ manage to dislocate it. Damn, he underestimated them. That was his dominant arm, and even after popping it back into place it would still be weak.

They allowed him a moment to fix his shoulder, which was their mistake. In an instant he had managed to trap them in a genjutsu of his own, and although Tsuji managed to break it almost immediately, Aji struggled against the power of the Sharingan. Tsuji took a hit to her back and Aji a kick to her leg as Tsuji helped Aji out of the illusion.

After that, not one of the three hesitated or held back any more. Only another two minutes passed before kunai and shuriken were being launched in all directions, and another seven minutes before Aji finally broke out some of her more impressive jutsu. Over an hour passed as they sparred in the familiar terrain of the training grounds.

Obito maintained the upper hand for the first half of the fight, but it was when he realized Tsuji had managed to trap him in _another_ genjutsu that he realized he might actually lose. While under the illusion Aji had managed to give him two cracked ribs, which made movement that much more difficult. He reminded himself that he had suffered worse in fights with real enemies, and ignored the pain.

It was not long, however, that the girls began to use their eerie _twinness_ to confuse him. There was no other word for it, and Obito had never seen anything like it. Sure, they dressed the same for their spars—a strategy meant to confuse opponents who could not tell them apart—but he was their _brother_. He would always be able to tell them apart. But suddenly there seemed to be too many of them—they were using shadow clones, sure, but they spoke to each other in such a way that left Obito disoriented. It was like another language.

"Left!" he heard Tsuji shout from his right side, causing him to look left on instinct although he knew it left him vulnerable to her. But the hit didn't come from right or left, it came from behind, where Aji landed a kick to the back of his knee with a maniacal giggle.

"Up!" was Aji's reply, and Tsuji hit him from the left.

Were they using code? Did they have a system worked out? Obito went on the defensive again as he listened to their commands and tried to find the pattern, but there was none that he could decipher. He began to think it was just gibberish.

They were moving too fast, and confusing him with their clones and misdirection. He was losing focus and leaving too many openings. It was only a matter of time before—

Yep, there it was.

He felt his arms jerked backwards by two clones and saw the glint of a kunai in front of him, before looking forward to see Aji standing in front of him with a very satisfied smirk on her pretty face. Or was it Tsuji? He was disoriented and couldn't tell anymore.

Obito sighed in defeat as Tsuji—this time he was sure by her even, graceful steps—walked around him to stand beside her sister. At least he had been right that Aji held the kunai.

"Looks like we win, brother!"

It was mildly humiliating to be defeated by your two younger sisters, but Obito smiled anyway. He couldn't help the pride swelling in his chest.

"Yeah, yeah. You win."

"Yes!" Aji cheered as she spun the kunai back into the holster at her thigh. "We're sure to pass the Jonin exams now!"

Obito smirked.

"You'll pass, but you've still got a lot of work to do. Tsuji, you leave too long of an opening after performing a jutsu, and Aji, you need to work on escaping my genjutsu. Neither of you are shoo-ins until you can beat _Dad."_

The shocked and horrified looks on Aji's and Tsuji's faces were payback enough for his defeat.

* * *

**Pass the Torch**

Sakura smiled as she climbed into bed with Kakashi after the party. Naruto had _insisted_ they have one to celebrate. With a service record easily twice the length of the average shinobi, Kakashi was retiring from active duty in the same month that Tsutsuji and Ajisai had passed their Jonin exams at age eighteen.

"Our kids are pretty amazing," Kakashi mused, one hand tucked behind his head and his eyes closed in contentment.

"Mmhmm. I can't believe they're all Jonin now," Sakura replied sleepily, and not for the first time.

"I can't believe I'm _retired_. I'm _old."_

"You've been calling yourself old since I as a Genin," she teased.

"Fair point, but now it's true," he countered with a grin.

They were quiet for a few moments, but before they drifted off to sleep, Sakura made one final observation.

"We've got a good life."

* * *

The End.

Thank you so much for reading!


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